TEXAKS  EEVENGE; 


OR, 


North  Against  South. 


{^NORD  CONTRE  SUD.) 


A  TALE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CiyiL  WAR. 

(COMPLETE  IN  ONE  VOLUME.) 


PART  I. 

BURBAM,  THE  ^(ORTHERNER. 


BY 

JULES  VERNE, 

AUTHOR  OF    "ROUND  THE  WORLD  IN  EIGHTY  DATS,"    ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC 


ILLUSTRATED. 


CHICAGO  :  ■. 

RAND,    MCNALLY  &  COMPANY,    PUBLISHERS, 
148,  150,  152  AND  154  MONROE  STREET;  and 
323  BROADV/AY,  NEW  YORK. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


TEXAR'S  REVENGE; 

OB, 

^CsTortli  Against  South. 

(NOJiD  CONTBE  SUD.) 


PART    I. 

TEXAR,  THE  SOUTHERMR. 


603;<:97 


CQNTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
ON  Board  the  "Shannon" 7 

CHAPTER  II. 
Camdless  Bay 20 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  War  of  Secession 28 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Burbank  Family 36 

CHAPTER  V. 
Black  Creek 46 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Jacksonville »       »       '       -    SS 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Before  the  Court 66 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Last  Slave 79 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Waiting ,.90 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Morning  of  the  2nd  of  March 99 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  tLVE  iNG  OF  the  2nd  of  March  .       .       ,       //Js 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Six  Days  that  Followed ,       ,  nS 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  Few  Hours 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
On  the  St.  John's 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Sentence 


155 


..m 


tTuj. 


THE    BEST    RECOSfelE^ENDATBON 

for  Colgate's  Cashjikke  Bouqvlt  Toilet  Soap  is  its  univer- 
sal use. 

Last  year  the  sales  of  Cashmere  Bouquet  exceeded 
iti  amount  those  of  all  imported  toilet  soaps,  as  shown 
by  the  U.  S.  Treasurj'  reports  for  i8S6. 

The  name  and  trade  mark  of  Colgate  (s^  Co.  on  each  cake 
c.ssi'.re  purchasers  of  superior  end  tmifonri  {jiialUv. 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 


BURBANK    THE    NORTHERNER, 


CHAPTER  I. 

ON   BOARD   THE   "SHANNON." 

Florida  was  annexed  to  the  American  federation  in  1819  ; 
it  was  organized  into  a  state  a  few  years  afterwards.  By 
the  annexation  the  area  of  the  republic  was  increased  by 
some  67,000  square  miles.  But  the  star  of  Florida  shines 
with  second-rate  brilliancy  in  that  constellation  of  thirty- 
eight  which  spangle  the  banner  of  the  United  States  of 
America. 

Florida,  throughout,  is  a  low,  narrow  tongue  of  land, 
and  its  rivers,  with  one  exception — the  St.  John's — owing 
to  the  narrowness  of  the  country,  are  of  no  importance. 
From  such  a  slight  rise,  there  is  not  sufficient  fall  for  the 
watercourses  to  be  of  any  rapidity  ;  there  are  no  moun- 
tains, only  a  few  lines  of  "  bluffs  "  or  low  hiils  such  as  are 
numerous  in  the  central  and  southern  regions  of  the  Union. 
In  form  the  peninsula  is  not  unlike  the  tail  of  a  t>eaver 
dipping  into  the  ocean  between  the  Atlantic  on  the  east 
and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  west. 

Florida's  nearest  neighbour  to  the  north  is  Georgia,  the 
frontier  running  a  little  above  the  isthmus  which  joins  the 
peninsula  to  the  continent. 

Florida  seems  to  be  a  country  apart,  with  its  people  half 
Spaniards,  half  Americans,  and  its  Seminole  Indians  so 


8      '  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

different  to  their  congeners  in  the  west.  In  the  sooth  it  is 
arid,  sandy,  almost  entirely  bordered  bs'  sand-hills  formed 
by  successive  irruptions  of  the  Atlantic  ;  but  in  the  north 
its  plains  are  of  marvellous  fertility.  Its  name  is  justified, 
to  the  letter.  The  flora  is  superb,  vigorous,  and  of  exu- 
berant variety,  more  especially  in  that  portion  watered  by 
the  St.  John's.  This  river  is  a  broad  stream  ilowing  from 
south  to  north,  over  a  course  of  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  of  which  one  hundred  and  sevent-  en,  up  to  Lake 
George,  are  iiavii.:ablc.  The  rivers  flowing  east  and  west 
have  no  rot^m  for  length  ;  but  the  St.  John's,  from  its  central 
course  to  the  north,  suffers  from  no  su:h  -hindrance,  .md 
numerous  branches  run  into  it  or  rather  into  tlie  multi- 
tudinous creeks  along  its  banks.  The  St.  John's  is  in  fact 
the  chief  artery  of  the  country,  which  receives  its  life  from 
its  waters,  for  water  is  the  blood  of  the  earth. 

It  was  the  7th  of  February,  1862.  The  steamboat 
S/iannon  was  rutming  down  th.;  St.  John's.  At  four  o'cl<  «ck 
in  the  afternoon  she  was  due  at  Picolaia.  after  calling  at 
the  piers  higher  up  the  river,  and  the  ;  rts  in  St.  John's 
and  Putnam  counties.  A  few  miles  beyond  she  would 
enter  Duval  county,  which  is  bordered  by  Nassau  county 
and  cut  off  irom  it  by  the  river  bearing  that  name. 

Picolata  itself  is  not  of  much  importance,  but  its  neigh- 
bourhood is  rich  in  indigo  pkmtations,  sugar  plantations, 
rice  fields,  cotton  fields,  and  vast  cypress  groves.  For 
some  distance  round  the  population  is  numerous,  and  it  is 
an  important  centre  for  trade  and  travellers.  It  is  the 
landing-place  for  St.  Augustine,  one  of  the  chief  towns  of 
eastern  Florida,  situated  some  dozen  miles  awa\- on  ihat 
part  of  the  sea-coast  sheltered  by  the  long  island  of  Anas- 
tasia.  An  almost  straight  road  leads  from  the  rivrr  port 
to  the  town. 

On  the   pier  at   Picolata  there  are  to  day  many  more 
travellers  than  usual.     Some  speeiy  veliicles    known   as  kO^ 
stages,  each  seating   eight  p(^rsons,  drawn  _  by  tour  or  six    u^ 
mules  galloping  like  mad  alon^  the  road  across'the  marsh, 
had  brought  them  from  St.  Augustine.     It  was   important 
ft^r  them  not  to  miss  the  bteamboat ;  to  do  so  would  be  to 


ON  BOARD  THE  "SHANNON."  $ 

risk  a  delay  of  at  least  forty-eight  hours  in  getting  back  to 
the  towns  and  villages  down  the  river.  For  the  Shannon 
made  only  one  passage  up  or  down  each  day,  and  she  was 
the  only  means  of  transport.  It  was  therefore  necessary 
to  be  at  Picolata  when  she  called  ;  and  the  vehicles  had 
unloaded  their  passengers  an  hour  before  she  was  due. 

There  were  about  fifty  men  on  the  gangway  at  Picolata. 
While  they  waited  they  were  talking  excitedly.  They 
had  divided  into  two  groups  not  at  all  anxious  to  mix  with 
each  other.  What  had  brought  them  from  St.  Augustine  ? 
Was  it  some  serious  matter,  some  political  contest  }  It 
was  obvious  that  there  was  no  chance  of  their  agreeing. 
Enemies  they  had  come  and  enemies  they  would  return. 
That  could  be  seen  clearly  enough  from  the  angry  looks 
they  exchanged,  from  the  marked  division  between  the 
groups,  from  several  ill-sounding  words  whose  defiant 
meaning  no  one  could  mistake. 

A  prolonged  whistling  began  to  be  heard  above  stream. 

The  Shannon  soon  appeared  at  the  bend  of  the  right 
bank  half  a  mile  above  Picolata.  Thick  clouds  of  smoke 
escaped  from  her  two  funnels,  and  crowned  the  large  trees 
which  the  sea  breeze  was  shaking  on  the  opposite  bank. 
The  moving  mass  grew  larger  rapidly.  The  tide  had  just 
turned  ;  and  the  current,  which  for  three  or  four  hours 
had  been  against  her,  was  now  in  her  favour  and  taking 
the  waters  of  the  St.  John's  towards  the  sea. 

At  length  the  bell  was  heard.  The  wheels  going 
astern  stopped  the  Shamton,  and  her  hawsers  brought  her 
alongside  the  pier. 

The  passengers  went  on  board  somewhat  hastily.  One 
of  the  groups  went  first  ;  the  other  did  not  move.  It 
looked  as  though  they  were  waiting  for  one  or  several 
travellers  who  ran  a  chance  of  being  late.  Two  or  three 
men  went  up  the  pier  to  the  place  where  the  road  from  St. 
Augustine  came  in  ;  and  then  they  looked  towards  the  east, 
evidently  with  impatience. 

And  not  without  reason  ;  for  the  captain  of  the  Shannon^ 
who  was  on  the  bridge,  shouted  to  them, — 

"  Now  then  !  come  on  !  " 


iO       '  NORTH  AND  SOUTH.    ^ 

"  In  a  minute  or  two,"  answered  one  of  the  men  in  the 
group  that  remained  on  the  gangway. 

"  I  can't  wait,  gentlemen." 

**A  few  minutes!" 

«  No  !  not  one  !  " 

*'  Only  a  moment !  " 

•*  Impossible  !  The  tide  is  running  out,  and  I  may  have 
no  water  over  the  bar  at  Jacksonville." 

"  And  besides,"  said  one  of  those  on  board,  "  there  is 
no  reason  why  we  should  put  up  with  their  fancies." 

"  That  is  what  I  think,  Mr.  Burbank,"  said  the  captain. 
*•  Duty  first.  Now  then,  gentlemen,  come  on  board  ;  I  am 
off." 

And  the  sailors  began  to  push  away  the  steamboat  from 
the  pier,  while  sonorous  jets  escaped  from  the  steam- 
whistle.     A  shout  stop()cd  the  mantiruvre. 

"  There  is  Texar  !     There  is  Texar  !  " 

A  carriage  came  rattling  along  at  full  speed  and  dashed 
round  the  turning  up  to  the  pier.  The  four  mulcs,  which 
formed  the  team,  stopped  at  the  gate.  A  man  got  down. 
Those  of  his  companions  who  had  gone  up  the  road 
rejoined  him  at  a  run.  Then  all  of  them  went  on  board 
the  boat. 

"  A  moment  more,  Texar,  and  you  could  not  have  gone. 
That  would  have  been  awkward  for  you,"  said  one  of  the 
group. 

"  Yes  !  It  would  have  been  two  days  before  you  got 
back  to — where  ? — We  shall  know  when  you  choose  to  tell 
us !"  added  another. 

"And  if  the  captain  had  listened  to  that  rascal  Burbank," 
said  a  third,  "  the  S/iannon  would  have  been  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  down  stream  by  now." 

Texar  had  just  stepped  on  to  the  fore-leck-house,  accom- 
panied by  his  friends.  He  contented  himself  with  a  look 
at  James  Burbank  from  where  he  was  only  separated  from 
him  by  the  bridge.  Although  he  said  not  a  word,  the  look 
he  gave  was  sufificient  to  show  the  implacable  hatred  that 
existed  between  the  two  men.  Burbank  looked  Texar 
straight  in  the  face,  turned  his  back  ou  him,  and  went 


ON  BOARD  THE  "SHANNON.  11 

to  sit  on  the  after  deck-house,  where  his  friends  had  already 
seated  themselves. 

"  Burbank  is  not  happy!"  said  one  of  Texar's  companions. 
"  And  no  wonder  1  He  lost  by  his  lies,  and  the  recorder 
did  justice  to  his  false  witness — " 

"  But  not  to  himself,"  interrupted  Texar,  "  and  that 
justice  I  will  undertake." 

The  Shannon  had  slacked  off  the  hawsers.  Her  bow  pushed 
off  by  the  long  poles,  took  the  line  of  the  current,  and 
driven  by  her  powerful  wheels,  helped  by  the  ebbing 
tide,  she  glided  rapidly  between  the  banks  of  the  St. 
John's. 

American  river  steamboats  are  well  known.  They  are 
many-storied  houses  crowned  with  wide  terraces,  and 
dominated  by  the  two  funnels  and  the  flagstafifs  which 
support  the  ironwork  of  the  awnings.  On  the  Hudson  as 
on  the  Mississippi,  these  steamboats  are  floating  palaces, 
and  can  hold  tile  population  of  a  small  town.  But  there 
was  no  need  for  such  grandeur  on  the  St.  John's.  The 
Shannon  was  only  a  floating  hotel,  although  in  its  interior 
and  exterior  arrangements  it  was  similar  to  the  Kentucky 
and  the  Dean  Richmond. 

The  weather  was  magnificent.  The  very  blue  sky  was 
spotted  with  light  freckles  of  vapour  that  thinned  off  towards 
the  horizon.  In  the  thirtieth  parallel  of  latitude  the  month 
of  February  is  almost  as  warm  in  the  Kew  World  as  it  is  in 
the  old  on  the  confines  of  the  Sahara  ;  but  a  gentle  breeze 
blown  in  from  the  sea  tempers  its  excess. 

Most  of  the  passengers  on  the  SJuinnon  stopped  on  the 
deck-house  to  breathe  the  fresh  air  that  the  wind  brought 
them  from  riverside  forests.  The  slanting  rays  of  the  sun 
could  not  reach  them  beneath  the  awnings  which  were 
shaken  like  punkahs  by  the  speed  of  the  steamboat. 

Texar  and  the  five  or  six  companions  who  had  embarked 
with  him,  had  thought  well  to  go  below  to  one  of  the  boxes 
in  the  dining-room.  There,  with  throats  seasoned  to  the 
strongest  drinks  of  American  bars,  they  tossed  off  whole 
glasses  of  gin  and  Bourbon  whiskey.  They  were  indeed  a 
rough  lot,  rude  in  habit  and  speech,  wearing  more  leather 


12  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

than  cloth,  and  more  accustomed  to  h've  in  the  lyoods  than 
in  cities.  Texar  appe;ired  to  have  some  right  of  superiority 
over  them,  due,  doubtless,  to  the  energy  of  his  character  as 
well  as  to  his  position  and  means.  When  Texar  did  not 
talk,  his  comrades  remained  silent  and  spent  the  time  in 
drinking. 

Texar,  after  carelessly  running  his  eye  over  one  of  the 
newspapers  which  littered  the  dining-room  tables,  had 
just  thrown  it  aside,  saying, — 

"That  is  all  old  news." 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  one  of  his  companions,  "  the  paper 
is  three  days  old." 

"And  a  good  many  things  happen  in  three  days,"  added 
another. 

"  What  is  the  latest  about  the  war  ? "  asked  Texar. 

"As  far  as  we  are  concerned,  the  latest  is  that  the 
Federals  are  preparing  an  expedition  against  Florida,  and 
that  means  we  may  expect  an  invasion  of  northerners  ! " 

"  Is  that  true  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  heard  of  it  at  Savannah,  and  I 
heard  of  it  again  at  St.  Augustine." 

"  Well,  let  these  Federals  come  ! "  exclaimed  Texar, 
striking  his  fist  on  the  table  so  as  to  make  the  glasses  and 
bottles  shake.  "  Yes  !  let  them  come  !  and  we  shall  see 
if  the  Florida  slave-owners  will  allow  themselves  to  be 
robbed  by  the  abolitionist  thieves." 

Texar's  reply  will  have  told  two  things  to  those  readers 
who  are  unacquainted  with  what  was  then  happening  in 
America.  First,  that  the  war  of  Secession,  declar.cl  really 
by  the  gun  fired  on  Fort  Sumter  on  the  nth  April,  iS6i, 
was  then  in  its  most  critical  phase,  for  it  had  extended 
almost  to  the  farthest  limits  of  the  Southern  States  ;  and 
secondly,  that  Texar,  a  .supporter  of  slavery„made  common 
cause  with  the  immense  majority  of  the  people  in  the  slave 
states.  On  board  the  Shannon  were  representatives  of  both 
parties.  One — to  use  the  different  appellations  bestowed  on 
them  during  the  long  struggle — consisting  of  northerners, 
anti-olavery  men,  abolitionists  or  federals  ;  the  other  of 
southerners,  slavery  men,  secessionists  or  confederates. 


ON   BOARD   THE  "SHANNON."  I^ 

An  hour  afterwards  Texar  and  his  comrades,  having 
had  quite  enough  to  drink,  appeared  on  the  upper  deck  of 
the  Shannon.  She  had  already  passed  Trent  Creek  and 
Six  M-ile  Creek  on  the  right  bank,  Trent  Creek  coming 
in  from  a  vast  cypress  grove.  Six  Mile  Creek  bringing  its 
waters  down  from  the  Twelve  Mile  Alarsh,  of  which  the 
name  tells  the  extent  The  steamboat's  course  lay 
between  borders  of  magnificent  trees,  tulip-trees,  magnolias, 
pines,  cypresses,  yuccas,  and  many  others,  whose  trunks 
were  hidden  by  the  wild  undergrowth  of  azaleas  and 
serpentarias.  Occasionally,  at  the  mouths  of  the  creeks 
leading  up  to  the  marshy  plains  of  St.  John  and  Duval 
counties,  a  strong  odour  of  musk  impregnated  the  atmo- 
sphere, coming  not  from  the  shrubs,  whose  emanations  are 
so  penetratir,g  in  this  climate,  but  from  the  alligators 
hurrying  under  the  bushes  at  the  noisy  passage  of  the 
Shannon.  Then  there  were  birds  of  all  sorts,  wood- 
peckers, herons,  jacamars,  bitterns,  white-headqd  pigeons, 
mocking-birds,  and  a  hundred  others  differing  in  form  and 
plumage,  while  the  cat  bird  reproduced  all  the  sounds  of 
the  forest  with  his  vcntriloquial  voice. 

As  Texar  mounted  the  last  of  the  steps  on  to  the  upper 
deck,  a  woman  met  him  on  her  way  down  to  the  interior 
of  the  saloon.  When  she  found  herself  face  to  face  with 
him,  she  stepped  back.  She  was  a  half-breed  in  the 
service  of  the  Burbank  family  ;  her  first  movement  had 
been  one  of  unconquerable  repulsion  at  finding  herself 
suddenly  face  to  face  with  the  declared-  enemy  of  her 
master. 

Texar  gave  her  an  evil  look  as  she  stepped  back, 
and  then  shrugging  his  shoulders,  he  joined  his  com- 
panions. 

"  Yes,  it  is  Zermah,"  he  said,  "  one  of  the  slaves  of 
Mr.  James  Burbank,  who  says  he  does  not  approve  of 
slavery." 

Zermah  made  no  reply.  When  the  way  to  the  saloon 
was  clear,  she  went  down  it  without  turning  to  take  any 
notice  of  the  observation. 

Texar  strolled  towards  the  bow  of  the  steamboat  •  there 


14  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

after  lighting  a  cigar,  he  apparently  dismissed  from  his 
notice  the  friends  who  had  followed  him,  and  began  to 
watch  with  some  attention  the  left  bank  of  the  St  John's 
along  the  border  of  Putna^m  county. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  after-deck  of  the  Shannon,  the 
conversation  had  run  on  the  war.  When  Zermah  went, 
Burbank  iiad  remained  with  two  of  his  friends,  who  had 
accompanied  him  to  St.  Augustine.  One  was  his  brother- 
in-law,  Edward  Carrol,  the  other  was  Mr.  Walter  Stannard, 
a  Floridan  living  at  Jacksonville.  They  were  talking 
with  considerable  animation  of  the  sanguinary  strife  of 
which  the  issue  was  a  question  of  life  or  death  to  the 
United  States.  But,  as  we  shall  see,  Burbank's  opinion  of 
the  issue  differed  considerably  from  Texar's. 

"  I  am  anxious,"  said  he,  "  to  get  back  to  Camdless 
Bay.  We  have  been  two  days  away.  Perhaps  some  news 
of  the  war  has  arrived.  Perhaps  Dupont  and  Sherman 
are'now  masters  of  Port  Royal  and  the  islands  of  South 
Carolina." 

"  Anyhow,  it  will  not  be  long  before  they  are,"  said 
Carrol,  "  and  I  shall  be  much  astonished  if  President 
Lincoln  does  not  carry  the  war  into  llorida." 

"And  it  will  not  be  before  it  is  time  1  "  said  Burbank. 
"It  is  quite  time  that  the  will  of  the  Union  should  be 
imposed  on  these  southerners  of  Georgia  and  Florida,  who 
fancy  they  are  too  far  off  to  be  reached  !  See  to  what  a 
degree  of  insolence  vagabonds  like  Texar  are  led  !  He  feels 
that  he  is  supported  by  the  slaveholders,  and  excites  them 
against  us  northerners,  whose  position,  which  gets  more  and 
more  difficult  every  day,  lays  us  open  to  the  back-wash  of 
the  war." 

"You  are  right,  James,"  said  Edward  Carrol.  "It  is  of 
consequence  that  Florida  should  return  as  soon  as  possible 
to  the  authority  of  the  Washington  Government.  If  the 
Federal  army  does  not  come  quickly  we  shall  have  to 
abandon  our  plantations." 

"  It  may  be  only  a  question  of  days,  Burbank,"  said 
Stannard.  "  When  I  left  Jacksonville  the  day  before 
yesterday,  people    were  getting   uneasy  at   the   news   of 


ON  BOARD  THE  "SHANNON.**  I5 

Commodore  Dupont's  supposed  plans  for  opening  up  the 
St.  John's,  and  that  would  give  a  pretext  for  threatening 
those  who  do  not  think  with  the  slave-owners.  I  am 
afraid  that  a  rising  would  turn  out  the  authorities  of  the 
town  in  favour  of  fellows  of  the  worst  description." 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  it  did,"  said  Burbank. 
"  We  shall  have  a  bad  time  of  it  till  the  i^'ederal  army 
comes  ;  but  it  cannot  be  helped." 

"  What  can  we  do  ?  "  asked  Walter  Stannard.  "  Sup- 
posing there  exist  at  Jacksonville  and  other  places  a  few 
brave  colonists  who  think  as  we  do  on  this  slave  question  ; 
they  are  not  strong  enough  to  withstand  the  Secessionists. 
We  can  only  reckon  for  safety  on  the  arrival  of  the 
Federals,  and  wish  that  when  intervention  is  decided  on  it 
will  take  place  without  delay." 

"  Yes.  Would  they  were  here,"  exclaimed  Burbank,  "  to 
deliver  us  from  these  blackguards  !  " 

And  we  shall  soon  see  that  these  Northerners,  who,  on 
account  of  family  or  other  interests,  were  obliged  to  live 
amid  a  slave-holding  population  and  conform  to  the 
usages  of  the  country,  were  fully  justified  in  their  fears  and 
the  language  they  held  concerning  them. 

The  news  discussed  by  Burbank  and  his  friends  was 
true.  The  Federal  Government  was  preparing  an  expedi- 
tion for  the  subjugation  of  Florida  ;  not  so  much,  how- 
ever, for  the  military  occupation  o(  the  State  as  the  closing 
of  the  outlets  against  the  blockade-runners,  who  took  away 
local  productions  and  brought  in  arms  and  munitions  of 
war.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this  blockade  that  the 
Shannon  no  longer  plied  up  the  southern  coast  of 
Georgia,  which  was  then  in  the  power  of  the  Northern 
generals.  For  prudential  reasons  she  stopped  a  little 
beyond  the  mouth  of  the  St.  J  ohn's,  towards  the  north  of 
Amelia  Island,  at  the  port  of  Fernandina,  the  terminus  of 
the  Cedar  Keys  railway,  which  crosses  the  Florida  penin- 
sula obliquely  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  liighcr  than 
Amelia  Island  and  the  river  St.  Mary  the  Shatmon 
would  have  risked  capture  from  the  Federal  cruisers 
wixich  were  constantly  on  the  coast 

2  /' 


X6  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

It  follows  that  the  passengers  were  chictly  Floridnns, 
whose  business  did  not  require  thtir  crossing  the  frontier. 
All  of  them  wen:  dwellers  in  the  towns  or  villagrs  on  the 
St.  John's  and  its  afiiuents,  and  for  the  m<.st  part  lived  at 
St.  Augustine  or  Jacksonville.  At  the  different  places 
they  landed,  and  embarked  either  by  the  gangways  from 
ihc  wharves,  or  by  piers  built  out  in  the  l^nglish 
fas!  lion. 

One  of  the  passengers  intended,  however,  to  quit  the 
steamer  in  mid-stream.  His  plan  was  to  leave  her  at  a 
part  of  the  river  where  there  was  no  wharf  or  pier,  nor 
village,  nor  isolated  house,  nor  even  a  hunting  or  fishing 
hut  in  sight. 

'1  he  passenger  was  Texar. 

About  six  o'clock  the  Shannon  gave  three  sharp  screams 
from  her  steam  whistle.  Her  wheels  were  almost  imme- 
diately stopped,  and  she  began  to  drift  along  with  the 
stream,  which  hereabouts  runs  slowly.  She  was  then  off 
the  entrance  to  Black  Creek. 

This  creek  is  a  dee[»  gash  in  the  left  bank,  into  which 
flows  a  small  river  of  the  same  name,  which  runs  by  the 
foot  of  Fort  Heilman,  almost  on  the  boundary  between 
Putnam  and  Duval  counties.  Its  narrow  opening  is 
entirely  hidden  beneath  an  arch  of  boughs  and  foliage 
matted  together,  as  close  as  the  woof  of  some  close 
tis'^ue.  This  gloomy  lagoon  was  almost  unlcnown  to  the 
people  of  the  country.  No  one  knew  that  Texar  had 
there  his  dwelling.  The  opening  of  the  creek  seemed  i,n 
no  way  to  break  into  the  line  of  bank,  and  as  night  was 
falling  rapidly,  it  would  require  a  very  skilful  boatman  lo 
take  a  boat  into  such  a  place. 

At  the  first  whistle  oi  t\\ft  Shannon,  k  shout  had  come 
in  answer — three  times.  A  light  burning  among  the  trees  on 
the  bank  was  put  in  motion,  showing  that  a  canoe  was 
coming  out  to  meet  the  steamer. 

It  was  only  a  skiff — a  little  bark  boat,  driven  by 
one  paddle.  Soon  the  skiff  was  half  a  cable-length  from 
the  Shannon. 


ON  BOARD  THE  "SHANNON.**  17 

Texar  stepped  up  to  t;he  front  of  the  fore-deck  and 
making  a  speaking-trumpet  with  his  hands,  shouted, — 

"  Ahoy  1 " 

"  Ahoy  ! "  came  back  in  answer. 

"  Is  that  you,  Squambo  ?  " 

"  Yes,  master  !  " 

"  Come  alongside." 

The  skiff  came  alongside.  By  the  h'ght  of  the  lantern 
attached  to  its  bow,  the  man  could  be  seen  who  was 
paddling  it.  He  was  an  Indian,  black-headed,  naked  to 
the  waist,  and  sturdily  built,  to  judge  from  the  torso 
revealed  in  the  fitful  light 

Texar  returned  towards  his  companions  and  shook 
hands  with  them,  bidding  them  a  significant  au  revolt . 
Then  giving  a  threatening  look  towards  Mr.  Burbank,  he 
descended  the  ladder  from  the  sponson,  and  stepped  into 
the  skiff.  In  a  few  turns  of  the  paddle-wheels  the  steamer 
was  out  of  sight,  and  no  one  on  board  could  suspect  that 
the  little  craft  was  about  to  vanish  under  the  dark  thickets 
on  the  bank. 

"  One  scoundrel  the  less  on  board,"  said  Carrol,  without 
caring  if  he  were  heard  by  Texar's  companions. 

"  Yes,"  said  James  Burbank,  "  and  at  the  same  time,  a 
dangerous  scoundrel.  I  have  no  doubt  of  it  myself, 
although  he  has  always  been  able  to  escape  conviction." 

"  Anyway,"  said  Stannard,  "  if  a  crime  is  committed 
to-night  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jacksonville,  they 
cannot  accuse  him,  for  he  has  left  the  Shannon." 

"  I  don't  know  that,"  said  Burbank,  "  if  they  told  me  he 
had  been  stealing  or  assassinating  this  very  moment  fifty 
miles  off  in  the  north  of  Florida,  I  should  not  be  surprised. 
And  if  he  managed  to  prove  that  he  was  not  the  author  of 
the  crime,  I  should  not  be  surprised  after  what  has  happened. 
But  it  is  not  worth  while  to  worry  ourselves  about  such  a 
man.     You  are  going  back  to  Jacksonville,  Stannard  ?" 

"To-night."  ^ 

"  Is  your  daughter  expecting  you  ?  "  .'-"'"^ 

"  Yes,  I  am  going  to  meet  her."  / 

PART   I  (. 


l8  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Burbank ;  "  and  when  are  you  com- 
ing to  Camdless  Bay?" 

"  In  a  day  or  so." 

"  Then  come  as  soon  as  you  can,  my  dear  fellow.  Wc 
are  on  the  eve  of  very  important  events,  and  matters 
will  get  worse  as  the  Federal  troops  come  nearer.  And  I 
fancy  your  daughter  Alice  and  you  would  be  in  greater 
safety  at  Castle  House  than  in  the  town,  where  the  South 
erners  are  capable  of  any  excess." 

•'  Am  I  not  a  Southerner,  Burbank  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  but  you  think  and  act  as  if  you  belonged  to 
the  North." 

An  hour  afterwards  the  Shannon,  carried  along  by  the 
ebb  which  became  stronger  and  stronger,  passed  the  little 
village  of  Mandarin,  placed  on  its  green  hill.  Then  five 
or  six  miles  farther  she  stopped  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  river.  A  quay  had  been  built  there  for  ships  to  load 
and  discharge  at.  A  little  above  was  an  elegant  pier,  with 
a  light  wooden  bridge  suspended  from  two  chains.  This 
was  the  landing-place  for  Camdless  Bay. 

At  the  end  of  the  pier  were  two  blacks  with  lanterns,  for 
the  night  was  now  very  dark. 

Burbank  took  leave  of  Stannard,  and  followed  by  Edward 
Carrol  stepped  off  on  to  the  pier. 

Behind  him  '..ent  the  half-breed  Zermah,  who  answered 
from  a  distance  to  a  child's  voice. 

"  I  am  here,  Dy  !     I  am  here  1 " 

"  And  father }  " 

"  Father  is  here  too  ! " 

The  liiihts  receded,  and  the  Shannon  continued  her 
voyage,  crossing  obliquely  to  tlie  left  bank. 

Three  miles  beyond  Camdless  Bay,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  she  stopped  at  the  pier  of  Jacksonville  to  put 
ashore  most  of  her  passengers. 

There  Walter  Stannard  went  off  with  three  or  four  of  the 
men  whom  Texar  had  left  an  hour  and  a  half  before.  Only 
lialf  a  dozen  passengers  were  left  on  board,  some  for  Pablo, 
:  little  town  near  the  lighthouse  at  the  mouth  of  the  St. 


ON  BOARD  THE  "  SHANNON."  I9 

John's,  others  for  Talbot  Island,  off  the  coast  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  channels  of  the  same  name,  and  others  for  the 
port  of  Fernandina. 

The  Shannon  continued  to  beat  the  waters  of  the  river, 
and  cleared  the  bar  without  accident.  An  hour  afterwards 
she  disa[.pearcd  at  the  turn  of  Trout  Creek,  where  the  St. 
John's  mingles  its  already  rough  waters  with  the  waves  of 
'  he  ocean. 


NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CAMDLESS   BAY. 


Camdless  Bay  was  the  name  of  the  plantation  that 
belonged  to  James  Bu;bank.  There  he  lived  with  his 
family.  The  name  of  Camdless  comes  from  one  of  the 
creeks  of  the  St.  John's,  which  runs  in  a  little  above  Jack- 
sonville, and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  Communi- 
cation with  the  city  was  thus  easy.  A  good  boat,  a  north 
or  south  uinJ,  and  the  ebb  for  going  and  the  flood  for 
returning,  and  in  an  hour  the  three  miles  could  be  sailed 
between  Camdless  Bay  and  the  chief  town  of  Duval 
county. 

Burbank  owned  one  of  the  finest  properties  in  the 
countr)^  He  was  rich  himself,  and  his  family  was  rich,  and 
in  addition  to  the  Florida  estate  he  held  important  landed 
property  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  which  adjoins  the  state 
of  New  York. 

The  site  on  the  right  bank  of  the  St.  John's  had  been  very 
happily  chosen  for  the  foundation  of  a  wealthy  establish- 
ment. To  its  natural  conveniences  man  had  little  to  add. 
The  land  itself  was  adapted  for  all  the  requirements  of 
extensive  works,  and  the  plantation  of  Camdless  Bay, 
nianaged  by  an  intelligent  man,  active  and  in  the  prime  of 
life,  well  helped  by  his  staff,  and  with  no  want  of  capital,  was 
in  a  most  flourishing  state. 

The  plantation  was  twelve  miles  round,  and  had  an  area 
of  four  thousand  acres.  There  were  larger  plantations  in 
the  Southern  States,  but  there  were  none  better  managed. 
Dwelling-house,  outbuildings,  stables,  cattle-sheds,  huts 
for  the  slaves,  farm-buildings,  stores  for  the  products  of  the 
soil,  yards  for  handling  them,  workshops  and   mills,  rail- 


CAMDLESS  BAY.  21 

ways  converging  to  the  landing-place  and  carriage  roads, — 
everything  was  marvellously  arranged  from  a  practical 
point  of  view  ;  that  it  was  a  Northerner  who  had  con- 
ceived, organized,  and  executed  these  works  could  be  seen 
at  the  first  glance.  It  was  only  plantations  of  the  first 
class  in  Virginia  or  the  Carolinas  that  could  rival  Camdless 
Bay,  Besides,  the  ground  consisted  of  "  high  hummocks," 
adapted  for  the  culture  of  cereals,  "  low  hummocks," 
specially  fitted  for  coffee-shrubs  and  cocoa-trees,  and 
marshes,  or  salt  savannahs,  where  rice  and  sugar-cane 
fields  could  flourish. 

It  is  v/ell  known  that  the  cotton  of  Georgia  and  Florida 
is  the  most  appreciated  in  the  different  markets  of  Europe 
and  America,  owing  to  the  length  and  quality  of  its  fibres, 
and  the  cotton-fields,  with  th:-ir  plants  in  long,  regularly- 
spaced  lines,  their  leaves  of  tender  green  and  their  yellow 
flowers,  were  among  the  chief  sources  of  revenue.  At 
harvest-time  these  fields,  for  an  acre  or  an  acre  and  a  half, 
would  be  covered  with  huts  in  which  lived  the  slaves, 
women  and  children,  whose  duty  it  was  to  collect  the 
capsules  and  take  out  the  tufts — a  very  delicate  operation, 
for  the  fibres  must  not  be  disturbed.  The  cotton,  dried  in 
the  sun,  was  cleaned  in  a  mill  by  means  of  toothed  wheels 
and  rollers,  squeezed  in  a  hydraulic  press,  done  up  in  bales, 
hooped  with  iron,  and  so  packed  for  exportation  ;  and 
sailing-ships  or  steamers  could  load  alongside  the  wharf  at 
Camdless  Bay. 

James  Burbank  also  devoted  much  attention  to  large 
fields  of  coffee-shrubs  and  sugar-canes.  Here  were  plan- 
tations of  from  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  trees,  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  resembling  Spanish  jasmine 
in  their  flowers,  and  with  fruits  as  big  as  a  cherry  con- 
taining the  two  grains,  which  it  was  only  necessary  to 
extract  and  dry.  There  were  large  fields,  we  might  say 
marshes,  bristling  with  thousands  of  those  long  reeds,  nine 
to  eighteen  feet  high,  with  their  crests  shaking  like  the 
plumes  of  a  troop  of  cavalr}"-  on  the  march.  This  crop, 
which  was  the  subject  of  special  care  at  Camdless  Bay, 
yielded  the  sugar  in  the  form  of  a  liquor,  which  the  refinery 


22  NORTH   ANT)   SOUTH. 

transformed  into  refined  sugar,  and  then,  as  derived  products 
the  syrups  used  in  the  manufacture  of  tafia  and  rum,  and 
cane  wine,  a  mixture  of  saccharine  liquor  with  pineapple 
and  orange  juice.  Although  the  crop  was  less  important 
than  that  from  the  cotton,  the  cultivation  was  there  a  very 
profitable  one.  A  few  enclosures  of  cocoa-trees,  fields  of 
maize,  yams,  potatoes,  tobacco,  and  two  or  three  hundred 
acres  under  rice,  brought  in  a  large  amount  of  additional 
profit. 

But  James  Burbank  had  another  enterprise  on  hand 
which  produced  at  least  equal  profit  to  that  of  the  cotton 
industry.  This  was  the  clearing  of  the  forest  which  covered 
much  of  the  estate.  To  say  nothing  of  the  products 
of  the  cinnamons,  pears,  oranges,  citrons,  olives,  figs, 
mangoes,  and  bread  fruits,  or  of  all  the  fruit  trees  of 
Europe  acclimatized  so  splendidly  in  Florida,  the  forests 
were  regularly  and  constantly  thinned.  And  great  was 
the  value  of  the  logwoods,  gazumas  or  Mexican  elms,  now 
used  for  so  many  purposes,  baobabs,  coral  woods,  with 
twigs  and  flowers  as  red  as  blood,  buckeyes,  a  kind  of 
yellow-flowered  chestnut,  black  walnuts,  oaks,  southern 
pines,  which  yield  such  admirable  specimens  for  the  car- 
penter and  shipwright,  pachiriers  whose  seeds  the  sun  at 
noon  explodes  like  so  many  petards,  parasol  pines,  tulip- 
trees,  firs,  cedars,  and  above  all  cyj^resses,  the  most  widely 
extended  tree  in  the  peninsula,  with  its  forests  from  sixty 
to  a  hundred  miles  in  length.  James  Burbank  had  erected 
several  sawmills  in  different  parts  of  the  plantation.  Dams 
had  been  placed  in  several  oi  the  tributaries  of  the  St. 
John's,  and  the  peaceful  streams  broken  into  falls,  which 
gave  the  mechanical  power  required  to  produce  the  beams, 
joists  and  planks  of  which  the  ships  each  year  took  entire 
cargoes. 

There  was,  besides,  a  considerable  stretch  of  prairie,  on 
which  flourished  the  horses,  mules,  and  cattle  in  numbers 
enough  to  supply  every  agricultural  want. 

There  are  birds  of  all  species  in  the  woods  or  on  the 
fields_  or  plains  of  every  part  of  Florida,  and  it  can  be 
imagined  how  the}-  swarmed   at  Camdless   Bay.     Above 


CAMDLESS   BAY.  '*3 

the  trees  soared  the  white-headed  eagles  with  great  spread 
of  wing,  whose  shrill  call  resembles  the  fanfare  of  a  cracked 
trumpet,  vultures  of  extraordinary  ferocity,  giant  bitterns, 
with  a  pointed  beak  like  a  bayonet.  On  the  banks  of  the 
river  among  the  reeds  and  beneath  the  interlacement  of 
gigantic  bamboos  were  flamingoes,  pink  or  scarlet,  white 
ibises  looking  as  if  they  had  been  stolen  from  some 
Egyptian  monolith,  pelicans  of  colossal  stature,  myriads 
of  terns,  sea-swallows  of  all  kinds,  crab-catchers  with  tuft 
and  green  pelisse,  purple-plumaged  curlews,  with  brown 
down  spotted  with  white,  jacamars,  kingfishers  with  golden 
reflections,  a  whole  world  of  divers,  waterhens,  widgeons  of 
the  whistling  species,  quails,  plovers,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
petrels,  puffins,  scissorbeaks,  seacrows,  gulls,  and  tropic- 
birds  which  the  wind  would  bring  into  the  St.  John's,  and 
occasionally  even  flying-fish,  beloved  of  epicures.  On  the 
prairies  swarmed  snipe,  woodcock,  curlews,  marbled  godwits, 
sultan-fowls  with  plumage  of  red,  blue,  green,  yellow  and 
white,  like  a  flying  palette,  partridges,  and  white-headed, 
red-winged  pigeons  ;  among  the  eatable  qi^adrupeds,  grey 
squirrels,  long-tailed  rabbits,  half-way  between  the  hare 
and  rabbit  of  Europe,  and  herds  of  deer,  and  besides  these, 
racoons,  turtle,  ichneumons,  and  unfortunately  a  good 
many  serpents  of  venomous  species.  Such  was  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  animal  kingdom  at  Camdless  Bay,  without 
reckoning  the  negroes,  male  and  female,  employed  on  the 
plantation.  And  if  these  were  human  beings,  what  excuse 
was  there  for  the  monstrous  custom  of  slavery,  by  which 
they  were  bought  and  sold  like  cattle  .? 

How  was  it  that  Jam^s  Burbank,  a  partisan  of  the  anti- 
slavery  cause,  a  Northerner,  hoping  for  the  triumph  of  the 
North,  had  not  been  able  to  free  the  slaves  on  his  planta- 
tion? Would  he  hesitate  to  d<i»  it  when  circumstances 
became  favourable  ?  Certainly  not  !  And  it  was  now 
only  a  question  of  weeks,  of  days  perhaps,  before  the 
Federal  army,  which  already  occupied  the  outposts,  would 
advance  into  Florida. 

Already  Burbank  had  done  all  he  could  to  improve  thr 
lot  of  his  slaves.    There  were  about  seven  hundred  blacks, 


24  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

of  both  sexes,  properly  lodged  in  the  large  barracoons, 
well  looked  after  and  kindly  treated,  and  worked  well  within 
their  powers.  The  overseer  had  orders  to  treat  them  all 
with  justice  and  consideration  ;  and  the  duties  were  done 
none  the  worse  for  corporal  punishment  having  for  some 
time  been  abandoned  at  Camdless  Bay.  This  was  a  striking 
contrast  with  the  custom  of  the  generality  of  Floridan 
plantations,  and  the  system  was  not  looked  on  with  favour 
by  James  Burbank's  nei^^hbours.  And,  as  may  be  imagined, 
this  made  matters  somewhat  embarrassing,  particularly 
now  the  fortune  of  arms  had  come  to  the  solution  of  the 
slavery  question. 

The  slaves  dwelt  in  healthy,  comfortable  huts.  Grouped 
in  fifties,  these  huts  formed  a  dozen  villages,  otherwise 
called  barracoons,  by  the  side  of  a  running  stream.  There 
the  blacks  lived  with  their  wives  and  children.  I-lach 
family  was  as  much  as  possible  employed  in  the  same 
work  in  the  fields,  the  forests  or  the  workshops,  so  that  its 
members  were  not  scattered  duiing  working  hours.  At 
the  head  of  these  villages  was  a  sub-overseer,  acting  as 
mayor  practicall\',  with  his  head-quarters  in  the  private 
grounds  of  Camdless  Bay.  These  grounds  were  enclosed 
by  a  high  palisade,  of  which  the  pciin'e'  stakes  rose  verti- 
cally, half-hidden  beneath  the  verdure  of  the  exuberant 
vegetation.  Inside  the  palisade  rose  the  private  house  of  the 
Burbank  family.  Half  house  and  half  castle,  it  had 
a):)propriately  been  called  Castle  House. 

For  many  years  Camdless  Bay  had  belonged  to  the 
ancestors  of  James  Burbank.  \\  hen  there  was  a  fear  of 
Indian  depredations,  the  owners  had  fortified  the  principal 
house.  The  time  was  not  very  distant  when  General 
Jessup  defended  Florida  against  tiie  Seminoles.  The 
colonists  had  suffered  much  from  these  nomads.  Not  only 
did  the  Indians  rob  them,  but  they  added  murder  to  the 
burning  of  their  homes.  Even  the  towns  were  threatened 
with  invasion  and  pillage.  In  many  a  sp.t  rose  the  ruins 
that  the  bloodthirsty  Indians  left  smoking  behind  them. 
Less  than  fifty  miles  from  Camdless  Bay  there  was  still  to 
be  seen  "  the  house  of  blood  "  in  which  Mr.  Motte  and  his 


CAMDLESS   BAY,  25 

wife  and  three  daughters  had  been  scalped  and  massacrea 
by  the  Seminoles.  But  the  war  of  extermination  between 
the  white  man  and  the  red  man  is  practically  over  ;  the 
Seminoles  were  conquered,  and  sought  refuge  to  the  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  People  spoke  of  them  no  more,  though 
a  few  bands  still  roamed  among  the  marshes  of  Southern 
Florida. 

It  will  therefore  be  understood  that  the  houses  of  the 
colonists  were  built  so  as  to  defy  a  sudden  attack  of  the 
Indians,  and  hold  out  until  the  arrival  of  battalions  of 
volunteers,  enrolled  in  the  towns  or  neighbouring  villages. 
And  on  this  plan  Castle  House  had  been  designed. 

It  stood  on  a  slight  rise  of  the  ground,  in  the  centre  of 
a  small  park  of  about  three  acres,  situated  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  St.  John's.  A  rather  deep  watercourse 
ran  round  the  park,  and  the  palisading  on  its  inner  bank 
completed  the  defence.  The  only  entrance  was  by  a  little 
bridge  thrown  across  the  circular  moat.  Behind  the  rise, 
a  mass  of  beautiful  trees  covered  the  slopes  of  the  park. 
An  avenue  of  young  bamboos,  with  the  stems  crossing  in 
pointed  arches,  formed  a  long  nave,  leading  from  the 
lawn  to  the  landing-place.  Beyond,  among  the  trees, 
were  green  lawns  and  wide  paths  with  white  borders, 
ending  in  a  sandy  terrace  along  the  principal  front  of 
Castle  House. 

The  castle  was  irregularly  built,  and  offered  much  of  the 
unexpected  in  its  grouping  and  of  the  capricious  in  its 
details.  But  should  its  assailants  ever  break  through  the 
park  palisades,  it  would  remain  defensible,  and  could  main- 
tain a  siege  of  some  hours.  Its  windows  on  the  ground- 
floor  were  protected  by  iron  bars.  The  main  door  in  the 
front  face  was  as  strong  as  a  portcullis.  At  certain  points 
along  the  walls,  which  were  built  of  a  sort  of  marble,  were 
a  few  turrets,  which  rendered  the  defence  easier,  as  they 
allowed  of  the  aggressors  being  taken  in  flank  In  short, 
with  its  openings  reduced  to  such  only  as  were  strictly 
necessary,  the  central  tower,  on  which  flew  the  standard 
of  the  United  States,  its  lines  of  battlements  along  some 
of  the  ridges,  the  slope  of  its  wall  at  the  foot,  its  high  roof, 


26  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

many  pinnacles,  the  thickness  of  its  inner  walls,  which  here 
and  there  were  loopholed,  the  place  resembled  a  fortress 
much  more  than  a  dwelling  house. 

As  we  have  said,  it  had  been  necessary  to  build  it  so  for 
the  security  of  its  inhabitants  at  the  time  of  the  Indian 
troubles  in  Florida.  There  was  even  in  existence  a  sort 
of  subterranean  tunnel  which,  after  passing  under  the 
palisade  and  circular  moat,  put  Castle  House  in  communi- 
cation with  a  little  creek  of  the  St.  John's  called  Marine 
Creek.  This  tunnel  could  serve  as  a  means  of  secret 
escape  in  case  of  extreme  danger. 

At  the  time  in  question,  the  Seminoles,  having  been 
driven  out  of  the  peninsula  twenty  years  before,  were  no 
longer  to  be  feared.  But  who  could  say  what  was  rescr\'ed 
for  the  future  ?  and  might  not  the  danger  James  Burbank 
had  no  reason  to  fear  from  the  Indians,  come  from  his 
compatriots?  Was  he  not  an  isolated  Northerner  at  the 
end  of  the  S  -uthcrn  States,  exposed  to  all  the  changes  of  a 
civil  war,  which  had  been  hitherto  most  sanguinary  and 
fertile  in  reprisals  ? 

But  the  necessity  of  providing  for  the  safety  of  Castle 
House  had  in  no  way  interfered  with  its  interior  comfort. 
The  rooms  were  large  and  luxuriantly  and  superbly 
furnished.  The  Burbank  family  were  blessed  with  every 
comfort  and  every  satisfaction  fortune  can  give  when  it 
is  united  to  artistic  feeling  on  the  part  of  its  possessor. 

Behind  the  house,  in  the  private  park,  were  splendid 
gardens,  extending  to  the  palisade.  The  stakes  were 
hidden  beneath  climbing  shrubs  and  passion-flowers,  amid 
which  humming-birds  hopped  in  myriads.  Orange-trees, 
olive-trees,  iig-trces,  pomegranate-trees,  and  pontederias 
with  blue  bouquets,  and  magnolias  with  calices  of  old  ivory 
perfuming  the  air,  palm-trees  waving  their  fans  in  the 
breeze,  garlands  of  violet-shaded  coboeas,  clumps  of  green 
rosetted  tupeas,  yuccas  with  their  sharp  clicking  sabres, 
rosy  rhododendrons,  clumps  of  myrtle  and  shaddocks — in 
fact  everything  produced  by  the  flora  of  a  zone  which 
touches  the  Tropics  and  could  be  gathered  in  its  parterres 
to  perfume  the  air  or  please  tlie  eye. 


CAMDLESS  BAY.  27 

At  the  extremity  of  the  palisading,  under  the  cypresses 
and  baobabs,  were  the  stables,  coachhouses,  kennels,  dairy, 
and  poultry-yard.  Under  the  thick  foliage  of  these  fine 
trees,  impenetrable  by  the  sun,  the  domestic  animals  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  heat  of  summer,  and  the  running 
water  brought  in  from  the  streams  close  by  gave  an 
agreeable  and  healthy  freshness  to  all. 

This  private  domain  was,  it  will  be  seen,  a  marvellously 
well-arranged  nook  in  the  centre  of  James  Burbank's 
establishment.  No  rattle  from  the  cotton-mills,  roar  from 
the  saw-mills,  ring  of  the  axes  on  the  tree-trunks,  nor  any 
of  the  sounds  which  are  inseparable  from  such  an  important 
concern,  could  be  heard  beyond  the  palisades. 

The  thousands  of  birds  of  the  Floridan  fauna  would  pass 
and  flutter  from  tree  to  tree.  But  these  winged  songsters, 
whose  plumage  rivalled  the  brilliancy  of  the  flowers,  were 
as  welcome  as  the  perfumes  which  the  breeze  bore 
with  it  as  it  swept  over  the  neighbouring  woods  and 
prairies. 

Such  was  Camdless  Bay,  the  plantation  of  James 
Burbank,  one  of  the  richest  in  eastern  Florida. 


MORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  WAR    OF  SECESSION. 

And  now  for  a  few  words  on  the  war  of  secession,  with 
which  this  history  is  intimately  connected. 

And  in  the  first  place  let  this  be  understood,  as  has  been 
well  said,  in  his  remarkable  "  History  of  the  Civil  War  in 
America,"  by  the  Comte  de  Paris,  who  was  formerly  on*,' 
of  General  McClellan's  aide-de-camps,  this  war  was  not 
caused  by  any  question  of  tariffs,  nor  of  a  dificrcncc  of 
origin  between  the  North  and  the  South.  The  Anglo-Saxon 
race  reigns  over  the  whole  territory  of  the  United  States. 
The  commercial  question  was  never  entertained  in  this 
terrible  fratricidal  strife.  "  It  was  slavery,  which,  prospering 
in  one  half  of  the  Republic  and  abolished  in  the  other, 
created  two  hostile  societies.  It  had  profoundly  motiificd 
the  manners  of  those  where  it  prevailed,  while  leaving 
untouched  the  outward  forms  of  government.  It  was 
not  the  pretext  or  the  occasion,  but  the  cause,  and  the 
only  cause,  of  the  antagonism  which  inevitably  resulted  in 
civil  war." 

In  the  slave  states  there  were  three  classes.  The  lowest 
consisted  of  four  millions  of  enslaved  negroes,  a  third  of 
the  population.  The  highest  was  the  caste  of  the  slave- 
holders, comparatively  uneducated,  rich,  scornful,  who 
kept  the  direction  of  public  affairs  completely  in  their 
hands.  Between  these  classes  was  the  lower  class  of 
whites,  turbulent,  idle  and  miserable,  ardent  advocates  for 
the  maintenance  of  slavery  for  fear  of  seeing  the  freed 
negroes  elevated  to  their  level. 

The  Northerners  had  against  them  not  only  the  rich 
proprietors,  but  also  those  whites  who  lived,  especially  in 


THE  WAR  OF  SECESSION.  29 

the  country,  among  the  slave  population.  The  strife  was 
consequently  frightful.  In  families  such  dissensions  were 
produced  that  brothers  fought  against  each  other,  some 
under  the  Federal,  some  under  the  Confederate  flag.  But 
a  great  nation  could  not  hesitate  to  destroy  slavery  to  its 
roots.  In  the  last  centary  the  illustrious  Franklin  had 
demanded  its  abolition.  In  1807  Jefferson  had  recom- 
mended Congress  to  "  prohibit  a  traffic  of  which  the 
morality,  honour,  and  dearest  interests  of  the  country  had 
long  required  the  disappearance."  The  North  was  there- 
fore in  the  right  to  march  against  the  South  and  subdue  it. 
And  to  follow  that  with  a  closer  union  between  the 
elements  of  the  Republic,  and  the  destruction  of  that  fatal, 
threatening  illusion  that  the  citizen  owed  obedience  first  to 
his  own  state,  and  in  the  second  place  to  the  federation. 

It  was  in  Florida  that  the  first  question  as  to  slavery 
had  arisen.  At  the  commencement  of  the  century  a  half- 
breeds  Indian  chief,  named  Osceola,  had  for  his  wife  a 
maroon  slave  born  in  the  marshy  part  of  Florida  known  as 
the  Everglades.  One  day  the  woman  was  recaptured  as  a 
slave  and  taken  away  by  force.  Osceola  raised  the  Indians, 
began  an  anti-slavery  campaign,  and  was  taken  prisoner 
and  died  in  his  prison.  But  the  war  continued,  and,  says 
the  historian  Thomas  Higginson,  "  the  money  it  cost  was 
three  times  as  much  as  that  paid  to  Spain  for  the  purchase 
of  Florida." 

And  now  for  the  beginnings  of  the  war  of  secession,  and 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  month  of  February,  1862,  when 
James  Burbank  and  his  family  were  to  experience  such 
terrible  counterblows  that  it  has  appeared  interesting  to  us 
to  make  them  the  subject  of  this  history. 

On  the  i6th  October,  1859,  the  heroic  Captain  John 
Brown,  at  the  head  of  a  small  band  of  fugitive  slaves,  had 
seized  on  Harper's  Ferry  in  Virginia.  His  object  was  to 
free  the  men  of  colour.  He  proclaimed  it  loudly.  Beaten 
by  the  militia,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  condemned  to  death, 
and  hanged  at  Charleston  on  the  2nd  of  December,  i8S9, 
with  six  of  his  companions. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  i860,  a  conventioD  assembled 


30  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

in  South  Carolina  and  adopted  with  enthusiasm  the  pro- 
posal of  secession.  The  following  year,  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1861,  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  President  of 
the  Republic.  The  Southern  States  regarded  his  election 
as  a  menace  to  the  institution  of  slavery.  On  the  nth  of 
April,  Fort  Sumter,  one  of  the  forts  defending  Charleston 
harbour,  fell  into  the  power  of  the  Southerners  commanded 
by  General  Beauregard.  North  Carolina,  Virginia,  Arkan- 
sas, and  Tennessee  at  once  threw  in  their  lot  with  the 
Separatists. 

Seventy- five  thousand  volunteers  were  raised  by  the 
Federal  Government.  At  the  outset  Washington,  the 
capital  of  the  United  States  of  America,  was  prepared 
against  a  sudden  attack,  the  arsenals  of  the  North  which 
were  empty  were  revictualled — those  of  the  South  had 
been  well  provisioned  by  President  Buchanan.  War 
material  was  got  together  with  extraordinary  effort.  Then 
Abraham  Lincoln  declared  the  Southern  ports  in  a  state 
of  blockade. 

Active  hostilities  broke  out  in  Virginia.  McClellan 
repulsed  the  rebels  in  the  west ;  but  on  the  21st  of  July, 
at  Bull  Run,  the  Federal  troops,  under  the  orders  of 
MacDowell,  were  routed,  and  fled  to  Washington.  The 
Southerners  feared  no  longer  for  the  safety  of  Richmond, 
but  the  Northerners  had  much  to  fear  for  the  capital  of 
the  American  Republic.  A  few  months  afterwards,  the 
Federals  were  again  defeated  at  Bull's  Bluff.  These 
misfortunes  were  compensated  for  by  the  expeditions 
that  put  into  the  hands  of  the  Unionists  Fort  Hatteras 
and  Port  Royal  Harbour,  which  the  Separatists  never 
retook.  At  the  end  of  1861,  the  command-in-chief  of 
the  armies  of  the  Union  was  given  to  Major-General 
George  McClellan. 

During  this  year  the  Confederate  corsairs  swept  the 
seas  of  both  worlds.  They  were  welcomed  in  the  ports 
of  France,  England,  Spain,  and  Portugal — a  great  mis- 
take which,  by  giving  the  Secessionists  the  rights  of 
belligerents,  resulted  in  encouraging  and  prolonging  the 
civil  war. 


tHfi  WAR   OF  SECESSION.  ^t 

The  naval  events,  which  caused  so  much  stir,  were 
the  appearance  of  the  Sumter  and  her  famous  Cap- 
tain Semmes  ;  the  appearance  of  the  ram  Manassas ; 
on  the  1 2th  of  October  the  sea-fight  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi ;  on  the  8th  of  November,  the  stoppage 
of  the  Trent,  an  English  ship,  on  which  Captain 
Wilkes  captured  the  Confederate  envoys — and  which 
nearly  brought  on  a  war  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  States. 

Meanwhile  Abolitionists  and  Slaveholders  were  en- 
gaged in  sanguinary  combats,  with  alternating  success 
and  defeat  in  the  State  of  Missouri.  One  of  the  chief 
generals  of  the  North,  Lyon,  was  killed,  and  this  neces- 
sitated the  retreat  of  the  Federals  to  RoUa,  and  the 
march  of  Price  and  his  Confederates  towards  the  North. 
There  was  a  fight  at  Frederictown  on  the  21st  of 
October,  and  at  Springfield  on  the  25  th,  and  on  the 
27th,  Fremont  occupied  the  latter  town  Avith  his 
Federals.  On  the  19th  of  December,  the  fight  at  Bel- 
mont between  Grant  and  Polk  was  indecisive.  At 
length  winter,  which  is  always  severe  in  North  America, 
put  an  end  to  the  operations. 

In  the  first  months  of  the  year  1862,  truly  prodigious 
efforts  were  made  by  both  sides. 

In  the  North,  Congress  voted  a  levy  of  500,000  volun- 
teers— there  were  a  million  before  the  end  of  the  struggle 
— and  sanctioned  a  loan  of  500  millions  of  dollars.  Huge 
armies  were  created,  the  chief  being  that  of  the  Potomac. 
Their  generals  were  Banks,  Butler,  Sherman,  McClellan, 
Meade,  Thomas,  Kearny,  Halleck,  to  mention  only  the 
most  famous.  Infantry,  cavalry,  artillery,  engineers,  were 
formed  and  organized.  War  material  was  manufactured 
at  express  speed,  Minie  and  Colt  carbines,  rifled  cannon 
on  the  Parrott  and  Rodman  systems,  smoothbore  cannon 
and  Dahlgren  columbiads,  howitzers,  revolver-cannons, 
siege  artillery,  and  shrapnel  shell.  They  organized  army 
telegraphs  and  army  balloons,  the  reporting  service  of  the 
large  newspapers,  the  transport  service  employing  20,000 
carts,  drawn  by  84,000  mules.     Provisions  of  all  kinds  were 


^i  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

got  in  under  the  direction  of  the  chief  of  the  commissariat. 
New  ships  of  the  ram  type  were  built  on  the  plan  of 
Colonel  Ellet,  and  armoured  gunboats  were  built  on  the 
plan  of  Commodore  Foote,  to  make  their  first  appearance  in 
maritime  war. 

In  the  South  equal  zeal  was  shown.  The  cannon 
foundries  of  New  Orleans  and  Memphis,  and  the  forges 
of  Tredegar,  near  Richmond,  turned  out  their  Parrotts  and 
Rodmans.  But  that  was  not  enough.  The  Confederate 
Government  sent  across  to  Europe.  Liege  and  Birmingham 
sent  shiploads  of  arms,  and  cannon  on  the  Armstrong  and 
Whitworth  systems.  Blockade-runners  brought  the  war 
material  into  the  ports,  and  took  away  cotton  in  exchange. 
Then  the  army  was  organized.  Its  generals  were  Johnston, 
Lee,  Beauregard,  Jackson,  Crittenden,  Floyd,  and  Pillow. 
Irregular  troops,  militia  and  guerillas,  were  raised  in  addi- 
tion to  the  four  hundred  thousand  volunteers  enrolled  for 
three  years  at  the  most,  or  one  year  at  the  least,  voted  by 
the  Secessionist  Congress  on  the  8th  of  August. 

The  preparations  did  not  hinder  the  strife  from  begin- 
ning before  the  winter  was  half  over.  Of  the  slaveholding 
territory,  the  Federal  Government  occupied  only  Mary- 
land, Western  Virginia,  some  part  of  Kentucky,  most 
part  of  Missouri,  and  a  few  points  on  the  sea  coast 

Hostilities  first  broke  out  again  in  the  east  of  Kentucky. 
On  the  7th  of  January,  Garfield  fought  the  Confederates  at 
Middle  Creek,  and  on  the  25th  they  were  beaten  again  at 
Logan  Cross  or  Mill  Springs.  On  the  2nd  of  February 
Grant  embarked  with  two  divisions  on  some  of  the  large 
Tennessee  steamboats,  to  support  Foote's  cuirassed  flotilla. 
On  the  6th,  Fort  Henry  fell  into  his  power.  Thus  was 
broken  a  link  of  the  chain  "  on  which,"  said  the  historian 
of  this  civil  war,  "  rested  the  whole  system  of  his  adversary 
Johnston's  defence."  Cumberland  and  the  capital  of 
Tennessee  were  thus  threatened,  and  were  within  easy 
reach  of  the  Federal  troops  ;  and  Johnston  endeavoured  to 
concentrate  on  Fort  Donelson,  so  as  to  regain  a  surer  base 
for  the  defensive. 

At  this  time,  another  expedition,  consisting  of  six  thon- 


tHB  WAR  OF  SECESSION.  33 

Sand  men,  under  the  orders  of  Burnside,  and  a  flotilla  of 
twenty-four  armed  steamers  and  fifty  transports,  descended 
the  Chesapeake  and  assembled  in  Hampton  Roads  on 
the  1 2th  of  January.  In  face  of  violent  storms  it  started 
on  the  24th  of  January  for  Pimlico  Sound,  to  capture 
Roanoke  Island,  and  reduce  the  coast  of  North  Carolina. 
But  the  island  was  fortified.  On  the  west  the  channel  was 
defended  by  a  barrier  of  sunken  ships.  Batteries  and  field 
works  made  access  difficult.  Five  or  six  thousand  men 
with  a  flotilla  of  seven  gunboats,  were  ready  to  withstand 
any  attempt  at  landing.  Nevertheless,  notwithstanding 
the  bravery  of  the  defenders,  on  the  7th  and  8th  of  February 
the  island  surrendered  to  Burnside,  with  twenty  guns  and 
more  than  two  thousand  prisoners  Next  day  the  Federals 
were  masters  of  Elizabeth  City  and  the  coast  of  Albemarle 
Sound,  that  is  to  say,  the  north  of  this  inland  sea. 

But  to  conclude  this  description  of  the  position  of  affairs 
up  to  the  6th  of  February,  it  is  necessary  to  speak  of  the 
Confederate  general,  the  old  professor  of  chemistry,  Jackson 
the  puritan  soldier  who  defended  Virginia.  After  the 
recall  of  Lee  to  Richmond  he  commanded  the  army.  He 
left  Winchester  on  the  13th  of  January,  with  his  10,000 
men,  then  he  crossed  the  AUeghanies,  to  advance  on 
Bath  on  the  Ohio  railroad.  Defeated  by  the  climate, 
overwhelmed  by  the  snowstorms,  he  was  forced  to  return 
to  Winchester,  without  having  attained  his  object. 

And  now  for  that  which  concerns  us  more  specially,  on 
the  southern  coast  from  Carolina  to  Florida. 

During  the  second  half  of  186 1,  the  Northerners  possessed 
sufficient  swift  vessels  to  police  the  seas,  although  they 
could  not  catch  the  famous  Summer  which  in  January,  1862, 
put  in  at  Gibraltar,  before  beginning  her  cruise  in  European 
waters.  The  Jefferson  Davis  endeavouring  to  escape  from 
the  Federals  had  fled  to  St.  Augustine  in  Florida,  and  sunk 
as  she  entered  the  channel.  Almost  at  the  same  time  the 
Anderson,  one  of  the  cruisers  off"  the  Florida  coast, captured 
the  privateer  Beauregard.  But  in  England  new  ships  were 
fitting  out  for  the  fray.  It  was  then  that  President  Lin- 
coln's   proclamation  extended  the  blockade,  a    fictitious 

PART  I. 


34  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

blockade  of  2800  miles.  To  watch  them  only  two  squadrons 
were  available :  one  to  blockade  the  Atlantic,  the  other  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

On  the  1 2th  of  October,  for  the  first  time,  the  Con- 
federates endeavoured  to  clear  the  mouth  of  the  Miss'ssippi 
with  the  Manassas — the  first  ship  plated  with  iron  used  in 
the  war— and  a  flotilla  of  fire-ships.  The  attempt  did  not 
succeed,  and  the  corvette  Ric/nnotid  escaped  from  capture, 
safe  and  sound,  on  the  29th  of  December,  though  a  small 
steamer,  the  SeaHrd,  carried  off  a  Federal  schooner  in  sight 
o(  Fort  Monroe. 

It  was,  however,  necessary  to  have  a  point  which  could 
serve  as  a  base  of  operation  for  the  Atlantic  cruisers.  The 
Federal  government  resolved  to  seize  on  Fort  Hattera.Sj 
which  defends  the  channel  of  the  same  name,  at  that  time 
much  used  by  the  blockade  runners.  Its  capture  was  not 
easy.  It  was  supported  by  a  square  redoubt,  called  F"ort 
Clarke.  A  thousand  men  and  the  Seventh  North  Carolina 
regiment,  were  entrusted  with  its  defence.  The  Federal 
squadron  composed  of  tv.-o  frigates,  three  corvettes,  a 
despatch-boat,  and  two  large  steamers  anchored  in  the 
passes  on  the  27th  of  Augi'.st.  Commodore  Stringham 
and  Gene'-al  Butler  were  in  charge  of  the  attack.  The 
redoubt  was  taken.  Fort  Hatteras,  after  a  long  resistance, 
hoisted  the  white  flag,  and  a  base  of  operations  was  secured 
by  the  Northerners  for  the  rest  of  the  war. 

In  November  the  island  of  Santa  Rosa,  at  the  east  of 
Fen.sacola,  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  a  dependency  of  Florida, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Federals,  notwithstanding  the 
efforts  of  the  Confederates. 

The  capture  of  Fort  Hatteras  not  appearing  sufficient  for 
the  proper  conduct  of  their  operations,  it  was  decided  to 
occupy  other  positions  on  the  coasts  of  South  Carolina, 
Georgia,  and  Florida.  Two  steam  frigates,  the  Wa/'as/t  and 
Susque/ianna/i,  three  sailing  frigates,  four  corvettes,  six  gun- 
boats, many  despatch-boats,  twenty-five  colliers  laden 
with  provisions,  and  thirty-two  steamers  transporting  15,600 
men  under  the  orders  of  General  Sherman,  were  placed 
under  the  command  of  Commodore  Dupont.     The  flotilla 


THE  WAR  OF  SECESSION.  35 

mustered  on  the  25th  of  October  before  Fort  Monroe. 
After  experiencing  a  terrible  storm  off  Cape  Hatteras,  the 
fleet  reached  Hilton  Head  between  Charlestown  and  Savan- 
nah, close  to  Port  Royal  Harbour,  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant in  the  States,  and  where  General  Ripley  held  command. 
Forts  Walker  and  Beauregard  defended  the  entrance,  about 
two  miles  and  a  half  apart ;  eight  steamers  also  formed 
part  of  the  defences,  and  the  bar  rendered  the  harbour 
almost  impregnable  to  an  enemy's  fleet. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  the  channel  having  been 
buoyed,  Dupont  entered  the  harbour  after  a  cannonade, 
but  he  was  not  able  to  land  Sherman's  troops.  On  the 
7th,  in  the  afternoon,  he  attacked  Fort  Walker  and  then 
Fort  Beauregard.  He  overwhelmed  them  with  his  storm 
of  shell.  The  forts  were  evacuated  ;  the  Federals  took 
possession  of  them  almost  without  a  struggle  ;  and 
Sherman  occupied  the  position  which  was  of  so  much  im- 
portance for  the  military  operations  that  were  to  follow. 

This  was  a  blow  at  the  very  heart  of  the  Southern  States. 
The  neighbouring  islands  fell  one  after  the  other  into  the 
power  of  the  Federals,  even  Tybee  Island  and  Fort  Pulaski ' 
which  commanded  the  Savannah  river.  At  the  end  of  the 
year  Dupont  was  master  of  the  five  great  bays  of  North 
Edisto,  Saint  Helena,  Port  Royal,  Tybee,  Warsaw,  and  all 
the  islands  scattered  along  the  coast  of  Carolina  and 
Georgia.  And  on  the  ist  of  January,  1862,  a  final  success 
enabled  him  to  reduce  the  Confederate  works  on  the  banks 
of  the  Coosa w. 

Such  was  the  situation  of  the  belligerents  at  the  com- 
mencement of  February,  1862.  Such  was  the  progress  of 
the  Federals  towards  the  South,  when  the  fleet  of  Dupont 
and  the  troops  of  Sherman  were  menacing  Florida. 


36  NOKTii  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   BURBANK   FAMILY. 

It  was  a  few  minutes  past  seven  when  James  Rurbank 
and  Edward  Carrol  mounted  the  steps  on  which  opened 
the  principal  door  of  Castle  House,  looking  towards  the 
St.  John's.  Zermah,  holding  the  little  girl  by  the  hand, 
walked  behind  them.  They  entered  ih-  hall,  which  was  a 
kind  of  large  vestibule  with  its  back  rounded  into  a  dome, 
and  containing  the  double  twist  of  the  great  staircase 
which  led  to  the  upper  floors. 

Mrs.  Burbank  met  them,  accompanied  by  Perry,  the 
chief  overseer  of  the  plantation. 

"  No  news  from  Jacksonville  ?" 

"  No." 

"  No  news  from  Gilbert  ?  " 

"  Yes— a  letter." 

"  Heaven  be  praised  !  " 

Such  were  the  first  questions  and  answers  that  passed 
between  Mrs.  Burbank  and  her  husband.  James  Burbank, 
after  kissing  his  wife  and  little  Dy,  opened  the  letter  which 
was  handed  to  him.  It  had  not  been  opened  in  his 
absence,  for,  in  consideration  of  the  existing  state  of  affairs, 
Mrs.  Burbank  thought  it  best  that  her  husband  should  be 
the  first  to  know  what  it  contained. 

"This  letter  did  not  come  by  the  post.''"  asked  Bur- 
bank. 

"  No,  sir,"  said  Perry,  "  that  would  have  been  too  risky." 

"  Who  brought  it  ?  " 

"A  Georgia  man  Mr.  Gilbert  felt  he  could  trust" 

"  When  did  it  arrive  ?  " 

"  Yesterday." 


THE  BURBANK  FAMILY.  37 

"  And  the  man  ?  " 

•*  Went  away  this  evening." 

"Well  paid  for  his  work  ? " 

"Yes,  well  paid,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank,"but  by  Gilbert, 
and  he  would  not  take  anything  from  us." 

The  hall  was  lighted  by  two  lamps  placed  on  a  marble 
table  before  a  large  sofa.  James  Burbank  went  and  sat 
at  the  table,  and  his  wife  and  daughter  sat  near  him. 
Edward  Carrol,  after  shaking  hands  with  his  sister,  had 
thrown  himself  into  an  arm-chair.  Zermah  and  Perry 
were  standing  together  near  the  stairs ;  both  of  them  were 
sufficiently  of  the  family  for  the  letter  to  be  read  in  their 
presence. 

The  letter  was  opened. 

"  It  is  dated  the  3rd  of  February,"  said  James  Burbank. 

"  Four  days  after  date  !  "  said  Carrol,  "  that  is  a  long 
time  under  the  circumstances." 

"  Read  it,  papa,  read  it,"  said  the  little  girl,  with  a  very 
natural  impatience  at  her  age. 

"  This  is  what  it  says, — 

"  On  board  the  Wabash,  at  the  anchorage  of  Edisto. 
"3rd  February,  1862. 

"  Dear  Father, — I  begin  by  sending  my  love  to  my 
mother,  my  little  sister  and  yourself,  not  forgetting  Uncle 
Carrol,  and  to  omit  nothing,  I  send  Zermah  all  the 
remembrances  of  her  husband,  my  brave  and  devoted  Mars. 
We  are  going  on  as  well  as  possible,  and  should  very 
much  like  to  be  with  you.  It  will  not  be  long  before  we 
are,  notwithstanding  Mr.  Perry,  who,  on  seeing  the  progress 
of  the  North,  must  be  much  concerned — obstinate  slave- 
owner as  he  is,  the  worthy  overseer  ! " 

"  That  is  one  for  you,  Perry,"  said  Carrol. 

"  Every  man  is  welcome  to  his  ideas,^'  said  Perry,  in 
the  tone  of  a  man  who  had  no  intention  of  giving  up  his 
own. 

Burbank  continued, — 

"  This  letter  will  reach  you  by  a  man  I  can  depend  on. 
You  will  have  heard  that  Commodore  Dupont's  squadron 


38  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

has  gained  possession  of  Port  Royal  Harbour  and  the 
neighbouring  islands.  The  North  is  gradually  beating  the 
South,  and  it  is  very  likely  that  the  Federal  Government 
will  occupy  the  chief  ports  of  Florida.  They  are  talking 
of  an  expedition  under  Dupont  and  Sherman  at  the  end 
of  the  month.  This  is  very  probable,  and  we  shall  occupy 
the  bay  of  St.  Andrew's,  whence  we  shall  advance  into 
Florida.  I  am  in  a  hurry  to  get  there,  dear  father,  and 
particularly  with  our  victorious  flotilla.  The  situation  of 
my  people  among  the  slave-holding  population,  makes  me 
very  anxious  ;  but  the  time  is  coming  when  triumph  will 
wait  upon  the  ideas  that  have  always  been  to  the  fore  at 
Camdlcss  Bay.  If  I  could  get  away  I  should  be  with  you 
in  twenty-four  hours  ;  but  that  would  be  too  risky  for 
you  as  well  as  for  me,  and  you  must  be  patient.  In  a  few 
months  we  shall  again  meet  together  at  Castle  House. 
And  now  I  must  end,  asking  myself  if  I  have  forgotten 
anybody  in  my  message.  And  I  have!  I  have  forgotten 
Mr.  Stannard  and  my  charming  Alice,  whom  I  am  longing 
to  see.  Give  my  regards  to  her  father,  and  to  her  give 
more  than  my  regards. 

"  Respectfully  and  sincerely  yours, 

"Gilbert  Burbank." 

James  Burbank  laid  the  letter  on  the  table,  and  Mrs. 
Burbank  lifted  it  to  her  lips,  then  little  Dy  put  a  sounding 
kiss  on  her  brother's  signature. 

"  Brave  fellow  !  "  said  Edward  Carrol. 

"  And  brave  man  ! "  added  Mrs.  Burbank,  looking  at 
Zermah,  who  had  clasped  the  little  girl  in  her  arms. 

"  We  must  tell  Alice,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank,  "  that  we  have 
received  a  letter  from  Gilbert." 

"  Yes,  I  will  write  to  her,"  said  James  Burbank. 
"  Besides,  in  a  day  or  two  I  must  go  to  Jacksonville  and 
see  Stannard.  Since  Gilbert  wrote  tihere  may  be  other  news 
of  the  proposed  expedition.  May  our  Northern  friends 
soon  come,  and  may  Florida  again  be  under  the  Union 
flag  !     Our  position  here  may  end  in  being  untenable." 

In  fact,  as  the  war  approached  the  South,  a  change  took 


THE   EURBANK   FAMILY.  39 

place  in  Floridan  opinion  on  the  subject  which  had  set  the 
United  States  at  variance.  Up  to  then  slavery  had  not 
been  extensively  developed  in  the  old  Spanish  colony, 
which  had  not  taken  part  in  the  Secession  movement  with 
the  same  ardour  as  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas.  But 
leaders  had  sprung  up  among  the  slave  party,  and  now 
these  people,  ready  for  outbreak  at  any  moment,  having 
everything  to  gain  by  disturbances,  were  in  the  majority 
among  the  authorities  of  St.  Augustine,  and  principally  of 
Jacksonville,  where  their  supporters  were  the  vilest  of  the 
populace.  Hence  the  position  of  James  Burbank,  whose 
birth  and  ideas  we  know,  had  become  an  anxious  one. 

Twenty  years  before,  James  Burbank  had  left  New 
Jersey,  where  he  still  possessed  some  property,  and  came 
to  Camdless  Bay  with  his  wife  and  his  son,  then  four  years 
old.  We  know  how  the  plantation  had  prospered,  thanks 
to  his  own  intelligent  labours  and  the  assistance  of  his 
brother-in-law,  Edward  Carrol.  Ke  had  taken  a  great 
liking  to  the  vast  establishment  which  had  been  handed 
down  to  him  by  his  ancestors.  Here  was  born  his  second 
child,  little  Dy,  fifteen  years  after  he  had  fixed  his  home 
in  the  South. 

He  was  then  forty-six  years  old,  of  strong  constitution^ 
accustomed  to  work,  and  never  sparing  himself.  We 
know  he  was  of  energetic  character ;  firmly  attached  to  his 
opinions,  he  did  his  utmost  to  let  them  be  widely  known. 
He  was  tall  and  slightly  grey ;  his  face  had  a  somewhat 
severe  but  frank  and  encouraging  look.  With  the  goatee 
of  the  Americans  of  the  North,  without  whiskers  or 
moustache,  he  was  a  typical  New  England  Yankee. 
Throughout  the  plantation  he  was  liked,  for  he  was  kind, 
and  he  was  obeyed,  for  he  was  just.  His  blacks  were 
devoted  to  him,  and  he  waited  not  without  impatience  for 
circumstances  to  permit  of  his  giving  them  their  liberty. 
His  brother-in-law  was  about  the  same  age,  and  took  charge 
chiefly  of  the  accounts  of  Camdless  Bay.  Carrol  was  quite 
at  one  with  him  in  everything,  and  shared  in  his  view  of 
the  slave  question. 

Mr.  Perry,  the  overseer,  was  the  only  one  of  a  different 


40  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

opinion  in  this  little  world  of  Camdless  Bay.  Let  it  not  be 
thought  that  this  worthy  man  ill-treated  the  slaves.  Far 
from  it.  He  even  tried  to  make  them  as  happy  as  their 
condition  allowed  him. 

"  But,"  said  he,  "  there  are  warm  countries  in  which  work 
on  the  land  can  only  be  done  by  blacks,  and  blacks  who 
are  not  slaves  are  no  longer  blacks !  " 

Such  was  his  theory,  which  he  discussed  on  every 
occasion  that  offered.  But  he  was  in  no  way  disconcerted 
at  the  fortune  of  war  which  favoured  the  anti-slavery 
cause.  He  was,  in  short,  an  excellent  fellow,  and  a  brave 
one  too,  and  when  James  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol 
had  joined  the  militia,  known  as  "  the  minute  men,"  from 
being  ready  to  start  at  any  minute,  he  had  gallantly  joined 
them  in  their  last  struggle  with  the  Seminoles. 

Mrs.  Burbank  was  at  this  time  thirty-nine  years  of  age. 
She  was  still  very  handsome.  Her  daughter  would  one 
day  resemble  her.  James  Burbank  had  found  in  her  a 
loving,  affectionate  companion,  to  whom  he  owed  most  of 
the  happiness  of  his  life.  The  unselfish  woman  lived  bat 
for  her  husband  and  her  children,  whom  she  adored,  and 
for  whose  safety  she  felt  the  keenest  apprehension  now 
that  circumstances  had  broyght  the  civil  war  into  Florida. 
Diana,  or  rather  Dy,  as  she  was  familiarly  called,  a  child 
of  six,  quick,  loving,  and  happy,  lived  at  Castle  House 
with  her  mother,  but  Gilbert  was  away,  his  absence  causing 
continued  anxiety,  which  Mrs.  Burbank  could  not  always 
dissimulate. 

Gilbert  was  then  in  his  twenty-fifth  year,  and  in  him 
were  conspicuous  the  moral  qualities  of  his  father,  with  a 
little  less  stiffness,  and  the  same  physical  qualities,  with  a 
little  more  grace  and  charm.  A  bold  companion,  skilled 
in  all  bodily  exercises,  he  was  as  accomplished  as  a  horse- 
man as  he  was  as  a  seaman  and  hunter.  To  the  great 
alarm  of  his  mother,  the  huge  forests  and  marshes  of  Duval 
county  had  often  been  the  scene  of  his  exploits,  as  had  the 
creeks  and  passes  of  the  St.  John's  up  to  its  furthest 
mouth  at  Pablo.  Gilbert  felt  himself  fully  trained  for  the 
work  of  a  soldier  when  the  first  shots  were  fired  in  the 


THE  BURBANK  FAMILY.  4I 

war.  He  considered  that  his  duty  called  him  to  the 
Federal  troops,  and  he  did  not  hesitate.  He  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  go.  Great  was  the  grief  he  thus  caused  his 
mother,  and  great  was  the  danger  to  all,  but  James  Bur- 
bank  did  not  dream  for  a  moment  of  refusing  his  son's 
request.  He  thought,  like  him,  that  it  was  a  duty,  and 
everything  must  give  place  to  duty. 

Gilbert,  then,  set  out  for  the  North  ;  but  his  departure 
was  kept  as  secret  as  possible.  If  it  was  known  at  Jack- 
sonville that  James  Burbank's  son  had  entered  the  Northern 
service,  reprisals  would  at  once  have  been  taken  on  Camd- 
less  Bay.  The  young  man  had  been  given  letters  of 
introduction  to  his  father's  friends  in  New  Jersey.  He 
had  always  shown  a  taste  for  the  sea,  and  his  friends  had 
had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  him  an  appointment  in  the 
Federal  navy.  Promotion  was  rapid  in  those  days,  and  as 
Gilbert  was  not  one  of  those  who  remained  in  the  rear,  he 
soon  got  on.  The  Washington  Government  had  its  eyes 
on  this  young  man  who  in  the  position  he  found  his  family, 
did  not  hesitate  to  offer  his  services.  Gilbert  distinguished 
himself  at  the  attack  of  Fort  Sumter.  He  was  on  the 
Richmond  when  that  ship  was  rammed  by  the  Manassas 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  contributed  largely  to 
recapture  her.  After  this  affair  he  was  made  an  ensign, 
although  he  had  not  been  through  the  naval  school  at 
Annapolis  any  more  than  many  of  the  other  officers  who 
had  been  transferred  from  the  mercantile  marine.  In  his 
new  capacity  he  joined  the  squadron  of  Commodore 
Dupont,  and  assisted  at  the  brilliant  attack  on  Fort  Hat- 
teras  and  the  capture  of  the  Seas  Islands.  During  the 
last  few  weeks  he  had  been  a  lieutenant  on  one  of  Dupont's 
gunboats  which  were  about  to  force  the  mouths  of  tiie  St. 
John's. 

Gilbert  himself  longed  for  an  early  termination  of  the 
war.  He  loved  and  was  loved  ;  and  when  his  service  was 
over,  he  would  return  to  Camdless  Bay  and  marry  the 
daughter  of  one  of  his  father's  best  friends. 

Mr.  Stannard  did  not  belong  to  the  class  of  Floridan 
planters.    A  widower,  and  a  man  of  fortune,  he  had  devoted 


42  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

himself  entirely  to  the  education  of  his  daughter.  He 
lived  at  Jacksonville,  so  that  to  get  to  Camdless  Bay  he 
had  only  to  go  up  three  or  four  miles  of  the  river.  For 
fifteen  years  not  a  week  had  passed  without  his  visiting 
the  Burbanks.  It  might  almost  be  said  that  Gilbert  and 
Alice  were  brought  up  together,  and  a  marriage  that  had 
been  planned  for  years  had  now  been  decided  on,  which 
would  bring  happiness  to  both.  Although  Walter  Stannard 
was  a  native  ot  the  South,  he  was  an  anti-slavery  man,  as 
were  several  others  of  his  Floridan  fellow-citizens  ;  but 
these  were  not  numerous  enough  to  withstand  the  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Jacksonville^  whose  opinions  daily 
tended  more  and  more  in  favour  of  the  Separatist  move- 
ment. Stannard  and  his  friends  began  consequently  to 
be  looked  upon  unfavourably  by  the  leaders  of  the  county, 
and  especially  by  the  small  whites  and  populace,  who  were' 
ready  for  any  excess. 

Walter  Stannard  was  born  at  New  Orleans.  Mrs. 
Stannard  was  a  Frenchwoman ;  she  had  died  young,  and 
left  to  her  daughter  those  noble  qualities  which  are 
peculiar  to  French  blood.  When  Gilbert  went  away, 
Alice  had  shown  an  energy  that  had  given  Mrs.  Burbank 
much  comfort  and  support.  Although  she  loved  Gilbert 
as  she  herself  was  loved,  she  invariably  told  his  mother 
that  it  was  hi^  duty  to  go  and  fight  for  the  good  cause,  to 
fight  for  the  freedom  of  a  race,  and,  in  short,  for  liberty. 
She  was  then  nineteen ;  fair,  with  eyes  almost  blue,  of 
warm  complexion,  elegant  figure,  and  distinguislied 
features.  She  might  be  a  little  serious,  but  so  mobile  was 
her  expression,  that  the  least  smile  would  light  up  her 
beautiful  face. 

the  Burbank  family  would  not  be  known  in  all  its  most 
faithful  members,  if  we  omitted  to  say  something  of  its 
two  servants.  Mars  and  Zermah. 

As  we  have  seen  from  his  letter,  Gilbert  had  not  gone 
away  alone.  Mars,  the  husband  of  Zermah,  had  accom- 
panied him.  He  could  not  have  found  a  more  devoted 
companion  than  this  slave  from  Camdless  Bay,  who  had 
become  free  by  setting  foot  on  anti-slavery  soil.     But  to 


THE  BUR  BANK   FAMILY.  4^ 

Mars,  Gilbert  was  always  "  the  young  master,"  and  he 
would  not  leave  him,  although  the  Federal  Government 
had  already  formed  regiments  of  negroes,  where  he  would 
have  found  a  place. 

Mars  and  Zermah  were  not  of  the  negro  race  by  birth. 
They  were  half-breeds.  Zermah's  brother  was  that  heroic 
slave,  Robert  Small,  who,  four  months  later,  captured 
from  the  Confederates  in  the  very  bay  of  Charleston,  a 
steamer  with  two  guns,  which  he  took  over  to  the  Federal 
fleet 

The  marriage  of  Zermah  and  Mars  was  a  happy  one  ; 
which  more  than  once,  during  its  first  years,  the  odious 
traffic  in  slaves  had  threatened  to  break.  It  was  at  the 
moment  when  they  were  about  to  be  separated  by  the 
fortune  of  the  auction-room,  that  they  came  to  Camdless 
Bay. 

These  were  the  circumstances. 

Zermah  was  thirty-one  years  old,  Mars  thirty-five. 
Seven  years  before,  they  had  been  married  when  they 
belonged  to  a  Mr.  Tickborn,  whose  plantation  was  on  the 
river,  twenty  miles  above  Camdless  Bay,  For  some  years 
Tickborn  had  had  business  transactions  with  Texar,  who 
was  often  a  welcome  visitor  to  the  plantation.  There  was 
nothing  surprising  in  this,  for  Tickborn  was  not  thought 
much  of  in  the  county.  His  abilities  were  not  very 
brilliant ;  and,  his  affairs  not  prospering,  he  was  obliged 
to  put  up  a  lot  of  his  slaves  for  sale. 

At  this  very  time  Zermah,  who  was  very  badly  treated 
like  all  the  rest  on  Tickborn's  plantation,  brought  a  baby 
into  the  world,  which  was  immediately  taken  away  from  her, 
for  while  she  was  in  prison  for  a  crime  of  which  she  was 
innocent,  her  baby  died  in  her  arms.  It  may  be  guessed 
what  was  the  grief  of  Zermah,  and  the  anger  of  Mars. 
But  what  could  they  do  against  a  master  to  whom  be- 
longed their  flesh,  living  or  dead,  because  he  had  bought 
it.? 

To  this  sorrow  another  no  less  terrible  was  added.  The 
day  after  their  child  died.  Mars  and  Zermah  were  packed 
ofi*  to  the  auctioneer,  and  threatened  with    separation 


44  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

Yes !  The  consolation  of  finding  themselves  together 
under  a  new  master  was  denied  them.  A  man  presented 
himself  who  offered  to  buy  Zermah,  and  Zermah  alone, 
although  he  did  not  own  a  plantation,  'ihis  man  was 
Texar.  His  friend  Tickborn  was  about  to  sign  the  agree- 
ment when,  at  the  last  moment,  anoth  :r  bidder  appeared 
on  the  scene  and  offered  a  higher  price.  This  was  James 
Burbank,  who  happened  to  be  at  the  sale,  and  was  touched 
at  the  fate  of  the  unhai)py  half-breed,  praying  in  vain  that 
she  should  not  be  separated  from  her  husband. 

Burbank  was  in  want  of  a  nurse  for  hi-;  little  girl, 
and  learning  that  one  of  Tickborn's  slaves  had  just  lost 
her  child,  he  came  to  look  at  her  ;  but,  touched  by 
Zermah's  tears,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  offer  for  herself  and 
husband  a  price  that  exceeded  all  that  had  been  bid  up 
to  then. 

Texar  knew  James  Burbank.  He  had  been  several 
times  warned  off  his  plantation  as  a  suspicious  person. 
And  from  this  arose  the  hatred  which  Texar  had  vowed  to 
all  the  family  ofCamdless  Bay.  Texar  tried  to  bid  against 
the  rich  planter.  It  was  in  vain.  He  grew  obstinate. 
He  rose  to  double  the  price  that  Tickborn  had  asked  for 
the  half-breed  and  her  husband.  This  made  Burbank  pay 
very  dearly  for  them — but  he  got  them. 

And  so,  not  only  were  Zermah  and  Mars  not  sepa- 
rated from  each  other,  but  they  had  entered  the  service 
of  the  best  of  the  planters  in  Florida.  Six  years  after- 
wards, Zermah  was  still  in  all  the  maturity  of  her  half- 
breed  beauty.  Of  energetic  character,  heartily  devoted 
to  her  master,  she  had  more  than  once  had  occasion 
— and  would  soon  have  occasion  again — to  prove  her 
fidelity.  Mars  was  worthy  of  the  wife  to  whom  the 
charitable  act  of  James  Burbank  had  for  ever  attached 
him.  He  was  a  remarkable  specimen  of  those  Africans 
in  whom  there  is  a  large  proportion  of  Creole  blood. 
Tall,  stout,  courageous  to  a  fault,  he  served  his  new 
master  well. 

These  two  new  servants  were  not  treated  like  slaves. 
They  had  soon  become  appreciated    for    their    kindness 


THE  BURHAXK   FAMILY.  45 

and  intelligence.  Mars  uas  specially  occupied  in  look- 
ing after  young  Gilbert  ;  Zermah  was  Diana's  nurse. 
In  such  positions  they  were  bound  to  be  admitted  to  a 
certain  intimacy  with  the  family. 

Zermah  always  felt  a  mother's  love  for  the'  little 
girl,  the  love  she  could  not  bear  the  child  she  had 
lost.  Dy  returned  it,  and  the  filial  affection  of  the  one 
responded  to  the  maternal  cares  of  the  other,  and  Mrs. 
Burbank  was  as  friendly  to  Zermah  as  she  was  grate- 
ful. 

The  same  feeling  existed  between  Gilbert  and  Mars. 
Active  and  strong,  the  half-breed  had  made  his  young 
master  an  expert  in  all  manly  exercises,  and  James 
Burbank  could  only  congratulate  himself  at  having  found 
him  for  his  son. 

Never  had  Zermah  and  Mars  been  so  happy,  and 
that  after  leaving  the  hands  of  Tickborn  and  nearly 
falling  into  those  of  Texar.     They  were  never  to  forget  it 


46  KORTH    AND   SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  V. 


BLACK   CREEK, 


At  dawn,  the  morniirij  after  the  Shannon^s  journey 
down  the  St.  John's,  a  man  was  walking  on  the  bank  of 
one  of  the  islets  at  the  bottom  of  the  lagoon  of  Black  Creek. 
It  was  Texar.  A  few  steps  away  was  an  Indian  sitting 
in  the  skiff  which  had  met  the  steamer.     It  was  Squambo. 

After  walking  up  and  down  for  a  minute  or  two, 
Texar  stopped  under  a  magnolia-tree,  drew  down  one 
of  the  lower  branches  and  picked  off  a  leaf  and  its 
stem.  Then  he  drew  from  his  note-book  a  short  letter,, 
containing  only  three  or  four  words  written  in  ink. 
He  rolled  up  the  letter  and  stuffed  it  into  one  of  the 
lower  veins  of  the  leaf.  This  was  done  so  cleverly  that 
the  leaf  lost  nothing  of  its  usual  look. 

"  Squambo  !  "  said  Texar. 

"  Master  !  "  replied  the  Indian. 

"  Go — you  know  where !  " 

Squambo  took  the  leaf,  put  it  in  the  bow  of  the 
skiff,  sat  down  in  the  stern,  paddled  himself  off",  turned 
the  extreme  point  of  the  islet,  and  entered  the 
tortuous  pasrage  under  the  thick  bower  of  trees. 

The  lagoon  is  cut  up  into  a  labyrinth  of  channels, 
among  which  only  a  man  thoroughly  conversant  v/iih 
the  tangled  network  of  black  waters  could  find  his  way. 

However,  Squambo  did  not  hesitate.  Where  no  one 
could  see  an  outlet  he  boldly  entered  with  his  skiff". 
The  lower  branches  thcit  he  lifted  up  fell  behind  him, 
and  left  no  trace  of  anything  having  passed  beneath 
them.  Along  winding  channels,  no  larger  than  drains, 
he  paddled  his  canoe.  Quite  a  world  of  aquatic  birds 
flew    up   at    his   approach.     Slimy   eels,  with   suspicious 


BLACK  CREEK.  47 

eads,  slipped  under  the  roots  which  emerged  from  the 
^ater,  Squambo  cared  for  none  of  these  things,  no 
lore  than  he  did  for  the  sleeping  caymans,  which  he 
ould  wake  by  striking  them  as  they  lay  on  their  beds 
f  mud.  He  kept  on  without  a  stoppage,  and  when  he 
ad  no  room  to  paddle,  he  pushed  himself  along  as  if 
rith  a  boat-hook. 

Although  it  was  now  broad  daylight,  and  the  heavy 
ight  mist  had  begun  to  evaporate  under  the  first  rays  of 
tie  sun,  nothing  could  be  seen  of  it  beneath  this  impene- 
rable  roof  of  verdure.  Even  in  the  noonday  sun  no 
a.y  of  light  could  pierce  it.  All  was  shrouded  in  semi- 
bscurity,  which  suited  well  the  crawling  creatures  that 
warmed  in  its  black  waters,  and  the  thousands  of 
quatic  plants  that  floated  on  their  surface. 

For  half  an  hour  Squambo  advanced  from  one  island  to 
nother.  When  he  stopped,  it  was  because  his  skiff  had 
cached  one  of  the  last  branches  of  the  creek. 

At  this  spot,  where  the  marshy  part  of  the  creek  ended, 
le  trees  were  less  crowded  and  intergrown,  and  the  light 
f  day  found  admittance.  Beyond  was  a  vast  prairie 
ordered  with  forest,  but  slightly  above  the  level  of  the 
it.  John's.  The  foot,  in  treading  on  the  marshy  ground, 
ave  the  same  sensation  as  if  treading  on  an  elastic 
lattress.  A  few  sassafras  bushes,  with  slender  leaves  and 
iolet  berries  dotted  the  surface  with  their  capricious  zigzags. 

After  mooring  his  canoe  to  one  of  the  twigs  on  the 
ank,  Squambo  jumped  ashore.  The  night  mist  was 
rying  off,  the  prairie,  quite  deserted,  was  gradually  rising 
cm  the  fog.  Among  a  group  of  five  or  six  trees  close 
y  was  a  magnolia  of  moderate  height. 

The  Indian  stepped  towards  this  tree.     He  reached  it  in 

few  minutes,  and  drew  down  one  of  the  lower  branches, 
'o  its  end  he  fixed  the  leaf  that  Texar  had  given  him, 
tien  the  bough,  left  to  itself,  sprung  up,  and  the  leaf  was 
)st  in  the  foliage. 

Squambo  returned  to  his  skiflf,  and  then  paddled  back 
J  the  islet  where  his  master  awaited  him. 

Black  Creek  is  so  called  from  the  colour  of  its  waters^ 

4 


4§  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

and  covers  an  area  of  about  six  hundred  acres.  Fed  by 
the  St.  John's,  it  is  a  sort  of  archipelafjo  quite  impene- 
trable to  those  who  do  not  know  its  infinite  windings.  A 
hundred  islands  dot  its  surface  ;  no  bridges  or  causeways 
join  them.  A  few  high  branches  interlace  above  the  thou- 
sands of  channels  that  separate  but  do  not  form  easy  com- 
munication lines  between  the  different  points  of  the  lagoon. 

One  of  these  islands,  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  system, 
is  the  most  important,  on  account  of  its  size— some  twenty 
acres — and  its  elevation,  five  or  six  feet  above  the  mean 
tide  of  the  St.  John's. 

At  some  distant  period,  this  island  had  served  as  the 
site  of  a  fortress,  a  sort  of  blockhouse,  now  abandoned 
—at  least,  in  a  military  sense.  Its  palisades,  half  ruined 
by  rot,  still  stood  beneath  the  large  trees,  magnolias, 
cypresses,  oaks,  black  walnuts,  and  austral  pines,  interlaced 
by  festoons  of  coboeas  and  other  endless  creepers. 

Beyond  the  outer  ring  the  eye  could  make  out  under 
the  heap  of  verdure  the  geometrical  lines  of  the  little 
fortress,  or  rather  the  outpost,  which  had  never  been 
intended  to  hold  more  than  a  score  of  men.  Narrow 
loopholes  peeped  out  of  the  wooden  walls.  Turfed  roofs 
covered  them  with  a  carapace  of  earth.  Inside  were  a 
few  rooms  arranged  round  a  central  apartment,  contain- 
ing a  store  of  provisions  and  munitions.  To  enter  the 
fortress,  it  was  necessary  to  get  through  the  palisades  at 
the  narrow  postern,  then  to  cross  the  yard,  planted  with  a 
few  trees,  and  mount  a  few  steps  built  up  of  boards. 
These  led  to  the  only  door  giving;  admittance  to  the 
interior,  and  was  merely  an  embrasure  that  had  been  altered 
to  suit  the  purpose. 

Such  was  the  usual  retreat  of  Texar — a  retreat  which 
nobody  knew.  There,  hidden  from  all  eyes,  he  lived  with 
this  Squambo,  who  was  devoted  to  a  master  of  whom 
he  did  not  think  much,  and  with  five  or  six  slaves,  who 
thought  even  less  of  him. 

This  islet  of  Black  Creek  was,  it  will  be  seen,  some  dis- 
tance from  the  wealthy  establishments  on  each  side  of  the 


BLACK   CREEK.  49 

river.  There  was  barel}-  a  living  on  it  for  Texar  and  his 
companions,  whose  wants  were  not  great.  A  few  domestic 
animals,  half  a  dozen  acres  planted  with  potatoes,  yams, 
cucumbers,  twenty  fruit-trees,  almost  in  their  wild  state, 
— that  was  all,  without  counting  what  the  hunter  could 
find  in  the  neighbouring  forests,  or  the  fisherman  in  the 
lagoon,  which  never  failed  to  yield  its  harvest.  But, 
doubtless,  the  dwellers  at  Black  Creek  had  other  resources, 
of  which  only  Texar  and  Squambo  knew  the  secret. 

The  safety  of  the  blockhouse  was  almost  assured  by  its 
situation  in  such  an  inaccessible  spot.  Besides,  who  would 
seek  to  attack  it,  and  why  ?  In  any  case,  any  suspicious 
approach  would  be  signalled  at  once  by  the  dogs  of  the 
island,  two  of  those  ferocious  bloodhounds  imported  from 
the  Caribbees,  formerly  employed  by  the  Spaniards  to  hunt 
down  the  negroes. 

Such  was  Texar's  dwelling,  and  it  was  worthy  of  him. 
Now  for  Texar  himself. 

Texar  was  then  Ubout  thirty-five.  He  was  of  medium 
height,  and  of  vigorous  constitution,  hardened  by  the 
adventurous  life  in  the  open  air  which  had  always  been 
his.  A  Spaniard  by  birth,  he  did  not  hide  his  origin. 
His  hair  was  black  and  coarse,  his  eyebrows  thick,  his  eyes 
greenish,  his  mouth  large,  with  thin  indrawn  lips,  as  if  it 
had  been  made  by  a  sabre-stroke,  his  nose  short,  and  his 
nostrils  like  those  of  a  wild  beast.  His  whole  physiognomy 
denoted  craft  and  violence.  He  had  formerly  grown  his 
full  beard ;  but  for  the  last  two  years,  after  it  had  been 
half  burnt  in  some  affair  that  no  one  knew  anything 
about,  he  had  shaved  it  off,  and  the  cruelty  of  his  features 
was  rendered  all  the  more  apparent. 

Twelve  years  before,  this  adventurer  had  come  to  settle 
in  Florida  in  this  abandoned  blockhouse,  the  possession  of 
which  nobody  thought  of  disputing.  Whence  came  he  ? 
Nobody  knew.  What  had  been  his  former  life  ?  It  was 
said,  and  rightly  so,  that  he  had  been  a  slave-dealer,  and 
had  sold  his  cargoes  of  blacks  in  the  ports  of  Georgia  and 
the  Carolinas.     Had  he  made  a  fortune  in  this  odious  trade  ? 

PART  h 


50  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

It  did  not  seem  like  it.  And,  in  fact,  his  reputation  was  of 
the  slightest  even  in  a  country  where  men  of  his  sort  are 
numerous. 

Nevertheless,  if  Texar  was  better  known  than  respected, 
that  did  not  prevent  his  exercising  a  real  influence  in  the 
county,  and  particularly  at  Jacksonville,  although  it  was, 
it  is  true,  among  the  least  reputable  inhabitants.  He  often 
went  to  the  chief  town  on  business,  which  he  never  spoke 
about,  and  had  made  a  number  of  friends  among  the  small 
whites  and  more  objectionable  people  of  the  place.  This 
we  have  seen  when  he  was  returning  to  St.  Augustine 
with  his  companions.  His  influence  extended  to  a  few 
planters  on  the  St.  John's,  whom  he  sometimes  visited, 
though  they  never  visited  him,  for  no  one  knew  of  his 
retreat  at  Black  Creek. 

Sport  was  a  natural  pretext  for  this  intercourse,  which 
established  itself  without  difficulty  among  people  of 
the  same  habits  and  tastes.  This  influence  had  grown 
during  the  last  few  years,  owing  to  the  opinions  which 
Texar  ardently  defended.  The  slave  question  had  hardly 
brought  about  the  division  between  the  United  States,  than 
the  Spaniard  had  posed  as  the  most  obstinate  and  deter- 
mined of  slavery  partisans.  It  should  be  understood  that 
he  had  little  real  interest  in  the  matter,  for  his  slaves  only 
amounted  to  half  a  dozen.  It  was  the  principle  he  sought 
to  defend.  By  what  means  ?  By  an  appeal  to  the  most 
hateful  passions,  by  exciting  the  cupidity  of  the  populace, 
by  urging  them  to  pillage,  incendiarism,  even  to  murder, 
against  the  inhabitants  or  planters  who  shared  in  the  ideas 
of  the  Northerners.  And  now  this  dangerous  adventureV 
was  seeking  to  supersede  the  civil  authorities  of  Jackson- 
ville, men  of  moderate  opinions  and  high  character,  by  the 
most  furious  of  his  partisans.  By  becoming  master  of 
the  county,  he  would  have  a  free  field  for  the  exercise  of 
his  personal  vengeance. 

It  will  be  understood  from  this,  why  James  Burbank 
and  other  planters  had  not  neglected  to  keep  an  eye  on 
the  proceedings  of  such  a  man,  whose  evil  instincts  had 


BLACK  CREEK.  5 1 

already  made  him  formidable  ;  and  why  the  hate  on  one 
side  and  defiance  on  the  other  had  been  augmented  by  the 
approaching  events. 

Besides,  there  was  much  in  the  past  life  of  Texar  after 
he  had  retired  from  trade  which  was  suspicious.  During 
the  last  outbreak  of  the  Seminoles,  everything  seemed  to 
prove  that  he  had  a  secret  understanding  with  them. 
Had  he  told  them  what  blows  to  strike,  what  plantations 
to  attack  ?  Had  he  helped  them  in  their  ambushes  and 
surprises  ?  There  was  a  strong  suspicion  that  this  was  the 
case,  and  the  magistrates  had  issued  a  warrant  against  the 
Spaniard,  and  brought  him  to  trial.  But  Texar  had 
pleaded  an  alibi,  a  plan  of  defence  of  which  he  again  availed 
himself  later  on  ;  and  it  was  proved  he  could  not  have 
taken  part  in  the  attack  on  a  farm  in  Duval  county,  when 
at  the  same  moment  he  was  at  Savannah,  in  the  State  of, 
Georgia,  about  forty  miles  to  the  north. 

During  the  following  years  there  were  many  serious 
robberies,  sometimes  from  plantations,  sometimes  from 
travellers.  Was  Texar  an  author  or  accomplice  in  these 
crimes  .-*  Suspicions  were  strong,  but  as  there  was  no  proof, 
nothing  could  be  done. 

At  last  an  opportunity  offered  which  seemed  to  bring 
this  hitherto  unseizable  malefactor  within  reach  of  the 
law ;  and  this  was  the  affair  for  which  he  had  the  day 
before  been  brought  before  the  court  at  St.  Augustine. 

Eight  days  before,  James  Burbank,  Carrol,  and  Stannard 
were  returning  from  visiting  a  plantation  not  far  from 
Camdless  Bay,  when  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
as  night  was  falling,  they  heard  cries  of  distress.  They 
came  to  the  spot  whence  the  cries  proceeded,  and  found 
themselves  in  front  of  the  buildings  of  an  isolated  farm. 
The  buildings  were  on  fire.  The  farm  had  been  previously 
pillaged  by  half-a-dozen  men  who  had  just  dispersed. 
The  authors  of  the  crime  were  not  far  off.  Two  of  them 
could  be  seen  running  away  through  the  woods. 

James  Burbank  and  his  friends  courageously  started  in 
pursuit,  and  the  chase  took  them  towards  Camdless  Bay. 


53  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

It  was  in  vain.  The  incendiaries  escaped  in  the  woods. 
But  Burbank,  Carrol,  and  Stannard  had  recognized  one  of 
them.     It  was  the  Spaniard. 

And  more  than  this — and  corroborating  the  proof — at 
the  instant  this  individual  had  disappeared  on  the 
boundary  of  Camdless  Bay,  Zermah,  who  was  passing,  had 
been  knocked  aside  by  him.  And  she,  like  the  others,  re- 
cognized him  as  Texar,  running  at  full  speed. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  .such  an  affair  would  make 
considerable  stir  in  the  county.  A  robbery,  followed  by 
incendiarism,  was  a  most  serious  crime  where  the  plan- 
tations were  spread  over  a  large  extent  of  country. 
Burbank  brought  a  formal  accusation  against  Texar,  and 
the  authorities  took  proceedings. 

The  Spaniard  was  brought  to  St.  Augustine  before  the 
Recorder,  and  then,  when  confronted  by  the  witnesses,  James 
Burbank,  Walter  Stannard,  Edward  Carrol,  and  Zermah, 
was  unanimously  recognized  as  the  man  who  was  running 
away  from  the  fire.  There  could  be  no  mistake  as  far  as 
they  were  concerned.  Texar  was  one  of  the  authors  of 
the  crime. 

The  Spaniard,  for  his  defence,  brought  a  number  of 
witnesses  to  St.  Augustine.  They  declared  that  on  the 
evening  in  question  they  were  with  Texar  at  Jacksonville, 
in  the  tienda  of  Torilla,  a  sufficiently  ill-famed  drinking, 
shop  in  those  j>arts.  Texar  had  not  left  them  all  the 
evening.  And  that  there  could  be  no  mistake  about  this, 
at  the  very  time  the  crime  was  committed,  the  Spaniard 
had  had  a  dispute  with  one  of  them  which  had  ended  in 
blows  and  threats,  for  which  legal  proceedings  would  pro- 
bably be  taken. 

At  this  evidence,  which  was  beyond  suspicion  -  for  some 
of  the  witnesses  were  strangers  to  Texar — the  magistrate 
at  St.  Augustine  could  only  close  the  inquiry  and  allow 
the  defendant  his  expenses. 

The  alibi  had  thus  been  once  more  fully  established  to 
the  advantage  of  this  strange  individual 

It  was  afler  this  affair,  and  in  company  with  his  witnesses' 


BLACK  CREEK.  $3 

that  Texar  had  returned  to  St.  Augustine  on  the  evening 
of  the  7th  of  February.  We  have  seen  how  he  conducted 
himself  on  board  the  Slmnnon  while  the  steamer  descended 
the  river.  Then,  on  the  skiff  brought  to  meet  him  by 
Squambo,  he  had  regained  the  abandoned  blockhouse. 

Squambo  was  a  Seminole,  intelligent  and  crafty,  and 
had  become  the  confidant  of  Texar,  who  had  taken  him 
into  his  service  immediately  after  the  last  expedition  of  the 
Indians  with  which  his  name  had  been  mixed  up. 

The  Spaniard  had  reisolved  to  revenge  himself  on  Jcimes 
Burbank  by  all  possible  means.  Amid  the  many  con- 
junctions that  the  war  daily  gave  rise  to,  if  Texar  could 
upset  the  authorities  of  Jacksonville  he  could  make  himself 
formidable  to  Camdless  Bay.  James  Burbank  was  of 
such  energetic  and  determined  character  that  he  had  no 
fear  of  such  a  man,  but  Mrs.  Burbank  had  only  too 
many  reasons  to  tremble  for  her  husband  and  her  family. 

And  all  the  more  would  she  have  been  anxious  had  she 
known  that  Texar  suspected  Gilbert  Burbank  of  having 
joined  the  Northern  army.  How  had  he  learnt  this,  for 
the  departure  had  been  secret  >  Probably  from  his 
spies. 

If  Texar  thought  that  James  Burbank's  son  was  in  the 
Federal  ships  under  the  orders  of  Dupont,  would  he  not 
probably  devise  some  trap  for  the  young  lieutenant  ? 
Yes !  And  if  he  could  entice  him  on  to  Floridan  territory 
and  capture  him,  we  can  imagine  what  would  be  his  fate 
at  the  hands  of  these  Southerners,  exasperated  at  the  pro- 
gress of  the  Northern  arms. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  this  story  begins. 
Such  was  the  position  of  the  Federals  on  the  maritime 
frontier  of  Florida,  of  the  Burbanks  in  Duval  county,  and 
of  Texar  not  only  at  Jacksonville  but  throughout  the  slave 
territories.  If  the  Spaniard  could  gain  his  ends,  if  the 
authorities  could  be  replaced  by  his  partisans,  it  would  be 
easy  for  him  to  send  forth  on  Camdless  Bay  a  populace 
maddened  against  the  Abolitionists. 

About  an   hour  after   Squambo    had    left    Texar,   he 


54  NORTH  AN©   SOUTH. 

returned.     He  drew   his  skiff  to  the  bank,  entered  the 
palisades,  and  mounted  the  steps  into  the  blockhouse. 

"  Is  it  done  ? "  asked  Texar. 

"  It  is  done,  master." 

"And— nothing?" 

"  Nothing." 


JACKSONVILLE.  55 


CHAPTER  VI. 

JACKSONVILLE. 

"  Yes,  Zermah,  yes,  you  were  created  and  placed  in  the 
world  to  be  a  slave ! "  said  the  overseer,  mounting  his 
favourite  hobby.  "  Yes  I  a  slave,  and  never  to  be  a  free 
creature." 

"That  is  not  my  opinion,"  replied  Zermah  calmly, 
without  the  least  animation,  so  many  had  been  these  dis- 
cussions with  the  overseer  of  Camdless  Bay. 

"  It  is  possible,  Zermah !  But  in  any  case  you  will  in 
the  long  run  come  over  to  the  opinion  that  no  equality  can 
exist  between  the  whites  and  the  blacks." 

"  It  already  exists,  Mr.  Perry,  and  it  has  always  existed." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Zermah,  and  the  proof  is  that  the 
whites  are  ten  times,  twenty  times — what  am  I  talking 
about? — a  hundred  times  more  numerous  on  the  earth 
than  the  blacks  ? " 

"  And  it  is  on  that  account  that  they  have  made  slaves 
of  them,"  answered  Zermah,  "  they  had  the  strength  and 
they  abused  it.  But  if  the  blacks  had  been  in  the  majority, 
the  whites  would  have  been  the  slaves !  Or  rather  they 
would  not,  for  the  blacks  would  have  shown  more  justice, 
ind  certainly  less  cruelty." 

Do  not  let  it  be  supposed  that  this  conversation  hindered 
Zermah  and  the  overseer  from  remaining  on  good  terms 
with  each  other.  At  the  moment  they  had  nothing  else 
to  do  but  talk.  They  might,  perhaps,  have  chosen  a  more 
useful  subject  of  conversation,  and  they  doubtless  would 
have  done  so  had  it  not  been  for  the  overseer's  mania  for 
continually  discussing  the  slave  question. 

The  two  were  seated  in  the  stern  of  one  of  the  Camdless 


56  MORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

Bay  boats,  worked  by  four  men  from  the  plantation.  They 
were  crpssing  the  river,  taking  advantage  of  the  ebbing 
tide,  on  their  way  to  Jacksonville.  The  overseer  had 
some  of  Mr.  Burbank's  business  matters  to  attend  to,  and 
Zermah  was  going  to  buy  a  few  things  for  little  Dy. 

It  was  the  loth  of  February.  Three  days  before  James 
Burbank  had  returned  to  Castle  House,  and  Texar  to 
Black  Creek  after  the  affair  at  St.  Augustine. 

The  day  before  Mr.  Stannard  had  heard  from  Camdless 
Bay,  about  the  last  letter  from  Gilbert.  The  news  did  not 
arrive  any  too  soon  for  Alice,  whose  life  had  been  one  of 
continual  anxiety  since  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

The  boat  under  her  lateen-sail  slipped  along  swiftly. 
In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she  reached  Jacksonville.  The 
overseer  had,  therefore,  little  time  to  develop  his  pet 
theory,  but  he  made  the  best  of  it. 

"  No,  Zermah,"  said  he.  "  No  !  If  the  blacks  had  been 
in  the  majority,  it  would  have  made  no  difference.  And  I 
tell  you  this,  that  whatever  may  be  the  result  of  the  war, 
we  shall  certainly  go  back  to  slavery,  for  slaves  are  neces- 
sar}'  to  work  the  plantations." 

"  Mr.  Burbank  does  not  think  so,  as  you  know,"  said 
Zermah. 

"  I  know,  but  I  think  Mr.  Burbank  is  wrong  notwith- 
standing the  respect  I  have  for  him.  A  black  ought  to  be 
part  of  the  estate  in  the  same  way  as  the  animals  and 
implements.  If  a  horse  could  go  away  when  it  chose,  if  a 
plough  could  change  hands  when  it  pleased,  no  work 
would  be  possible.  Let  Mr.  Burbank  emancipate  his 
slaves,  and  you  will  see  what  will  become  of  Camdless 
Bay." 

"  He  would  have  done  so  already,"  said  Zermah,  "  if 
circumstances  had  allowed  him  to  do  so.  And  would  you 
like  to  know  what  will  happen  when  the  emancipation  of 
the  slaves  is  proclaimed  at  Camdless  Bay?  Not  a  s  ngle 
black  will  leave  the  plantation,  and  nothing  will  be  changed, 
except  the  right  to  treat  them  as  beasts.  And,  as  you  have 
never  exercised  that  right,  Camdless  Bay  will  remain  as 
it  was." 


JACKSONVILLE.  57 

"Do  you  consider  you  have  converted  me  to  your  ideas  ?" 
asked  the  overseer. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  It  would  be  useless  to  do  so,  and  for 
a  very  simple  reason." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  That  at  the  bottom  you  think  just  the  same  as  Mr. 
Burbank,  Mr.  Carrol,  Mr.  Stannard,  and  every  one  else  who 
has  a  generous  heart  and  a  just  mind." 

"  Never,  Zermah,  never  !  And  I  even  affirm  that  what 
I  say  is  in  the  best  interests  of  the  blacks.  If  you  leave 
them  to  themselves  they  will  perish,  and  the  race  will  soon 
disappear." 

"  I  know  nothing  about  that,  Mr.  Perry.  But  anyhow, 
better  the  race  should  disappear  than  be  condemned  to  the 
perpetual  degradation  of  slavery," 

The  overseer  would  have  replied,  for  he  had  by  no 
means  reached  the  end  of  his  arguments ;  but  the  sail 
was  taken  in  and  the  boat  ran  alongside  the  pier,  there  to 
await  the  return  of  Zermah  and  the  overseer,  who  landed 
at  once  and  set  off  about  their  business. 

Jacksonville  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  John's, 
at  the  end  of  a  somewhat  low  plain,  surrounded  by  an 
horizon  of  magnificent  forests,  which  form  an  ever-verdant 
frame.  Fields  of  maize  and  sugar-cane  and  rice,  particu- 
larly by  the  river  side,  occupy  a  part  of  the  plain. 

Twelve  years  ago  Jacksonville  was  but  a  big  village, 
with  a  suburb,  where  the  black  population  lived  in  huts 
built  of  mud  and  reeds.  At  the  time  of  our  story  the 
village  was  becoming  a  town.  Its  houses  were  becoming 
more  comfortable,  its  streets  better  planned  and  better 
kept,  and  the  number  of  its  inhabitants  doubled.  And  the 
year  before  the  chief  town  of  Duval  county  had  gained 
considerably  by  being  united  by  railway  to  Tallahassee, 
which  is  the  capital  of  Florida. 

The  overseer  and  Zermah  noticed  that  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  excitement  in  the  town.  Some  hundreds  of  the 
inhabitants,  Southerners  of  American  birth,  and  mulattoes 
and  half-breeds  of  Spanish  origin,  were  waitin;^  ior  the 
arrival  of  the  steamboat,  of  which  the  smoke  was  in  sight 


58  NORTH    AND    SOUTH. 

down  stream  over  a  low  point  of  the  St.  John's.  Some 
even,  in  order  to  reach  the  vessel  more  quickly,  had  started 
towards  her  in  rowing-boats,  and  others  had  gone  off  in  a 
few  of  those  one-masted  dogger-boats  which  are  so  common 
at  Jacksonville. 

There  had  been  serious  news  from  the  war  the  evening 
before.  The  scheme  of  operations  hinted  at  in  Gilbert 
l^urbank's  letter  had  become  partly  known.  It  had  been 
ascertained  that  Commodore  Dupont's  flotilla  was  getting 
ready  for  sea,  and  that  General  Sherman  was  to  take  his 
Uoops  on  board.  Where  was  the  expedition  going  ? 
They  could  not  say  for  certain,  but  everything  pointed 
to  tlie  St  John's  and  the  coast  of  Florida  as  being  its 
object. 

When  the  steamer,  which  came  from  Fernandina,  had 
stopped  at  Jacksonville,  iier  passengers  could  only  confirm 
tliat  news.  They  even  added  that  Commodore  Dupont 
would  probably  anchor  in  St.  Andrew's  Bay,  while  waiting 
for  a  favourable  moment  to  force  the  passes  at  Amelia 
Island  and  the  estuary  of  the  St.  John's. 

Immediately  the  mob  swarmed  up  into  the  town,  putting 
to  noisy  flight  the  flock  of  urubus  which  do  the  scavcngcring 
of  the  streets.  Shouts  arose,  "  Down  with  the  Northerners  ! 
Death  to  the  Northerners  I "  Such  were  the  cries  that 
Texar's  friends  started  to  further  excite  the  already  excited 
population.  The  crowd  gathered  in  front  of  the  court- 
house, the  police-office,  and  the  episcopal  church.  The 
authorities  would  have  more  trouble  in  quieting  the  out- 
break, particularly  as  Jacksonville,  as  we  have  already 
remarked,  was  divided  on  this  slave  question.  And  in 
times  of  trouble,  the  noisiest  and  the  hastiest  make  the 
Law,  and  the  moderate  men  eventually  submit  to  their 
domination. 

Naturally  in  the  taverns  and  tiendas  the  shouts  were  the 
loudest.  There  it  was  that  the  plans  were  formed  for 
offering  an  indomitable  resistance  to  the  invasion. 

"  Let  us  send  the  militia  to  Fernandina,"  said  one. 

'"  Let  us  sink  some  ships  in  the  channel  of  the  St 
John's,"  said  another. 


JACKSONVILLE.  59 

"  Let  us  run  up  some  earthworks  round  the  city,  and  get 
the  guns-  for  them,"  said  another. 

"  Let  us  send  for  help  by  the  railway  from  Fernandina 
to  Keys." 

"  Let  us  put  out  the  light  at  Pablo,  and  so  prevent  the 
enemy's  fleet  getting  in  at  night." 

"  Let  us  put  down  torpedoes  in  the  river." 

The  torpedo  was  almost  a  new  thing  in  the  American 
war,  and  although  they  were  not  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  way  to  manage  it,  they  were  evidently  longmg  to 
use  it. 

"  Above  all,"  said  one  of  the  most  excited  orators  at  the 
tienda  of  Torillo,  "we  should  send  to  gaol  all  the  North 
erners  m  the  town,  and  all  those  Southerners  who  think 

with  them."  ..  ,.   ^    u  j       ^ 

It  would  have  been  very  strange  if  somebody  had  not 
brought  forward  this  proposition,  the  ultima  ratio  of 
sectaries  everywhere.  And,  of  course,  it  was  received 
with  cheers.  Luckily  for  the  honest  people  of  Jackson- 
ville the  magistrates  were  to  hesitate  some  time  before 
giving  in  to  this  popular  prayer. 

As  she  passed  through  the  streets,  Zermah  took  careful 
notice  of  what  was  going  on,  so  as  to  tell  her  master.  He 
would  be  seri>  usly  affected  by  the  movement.  If  violent 
measures  were  taken,  such  measures  would  not  stop  at  the 
ti)wn.  They  would  extend  beyond  it  to  the  plantations 
in  the  county.  Camdless  Bay  would  be  one  of  the  first 
to  be  visited.  Hence  the  half-breed,  in  order  to  obtani 
more  precise  information,  called  at  Mr.  Stannard's  house  a 
little  way  out  of  the  town. 

This  was  a  charming,  comfortable  dwelling,  agreeably 
situated  in  a  sort  of  green  oasis  which  the  clearing-axe  had 
left  in  a  corner  of  the  plain.  Under  Alice's  care  the  inside 
as  well  as  the  outside  of  the  house  was  excellently  looked 
after. 

Zermah  was  received  with  great  cordiality.  At  first 
Ahce  spoke  to  her  about  Gilbert's  letter,  and  Zermah  was 
able  to  tell  her  almost  his  very  words. 

"  Yes,"  said  Alice,  "  he  is  not  far  off  now.     But  under 


60  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

what  circumstances  will  he  come  back  to  Florida  ?  And 
what  dangers  may  there  not  be  for  him  before  the  expe- 
dition is  over ! " 

"Dangers,  Alice," said  Mr.  Stannard.  "  Do  not  be  nervous. 
Gilbert  faced  greater  when  cruising  off  the  coast  of  Georgia 
and  in  that  Port  Royal  affair.  I  do  not  think  Florida's 
resistance  will  be  very  terrible  or  very  long.  What  can  we 
do  with  this  St.  John's,  which  will  let  the  gunboats  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  country  >  All  defence  seems  to  me  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible." 

"  May  what  you  say  be  true,"  said  Alice,  "  and  may 
heaven  grant  that  the  war  will  soon  be  over  !" 

"  It  will  only  end  by  wiping  out  the  South,"  replied  Mr. 
Stannard.  "  That  will  take  a  long  time,  I  am  afraid  ;  and 
Jefferson  Davis  and  his  Generals — Lee,  Johnston,  and 
Beauregard — will  hold  out  for  some  time  in  the  centre. 
The  Federals  will  not  have  an  easy  triumph  over  the  Con- 
federates. But  as  to  Florida,  that  can  easily  be  captured  ; 
unfortunately  its  possession  will  not  ensure  the  final 
victory." 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Gilbert  will  not  be  imprudent," 
said  Alice,  joining  her  hands.  "  If  he  yields  to  the  wish  to 
see  his  family  for  a  few  hours  when  he  is  so  near  them — " 

"And  seeing  you.  Miss  Alice,"  said  Zurmah,  "  for  are 
you  not  already  one  of  the  family  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Zermah,  in  heart." 

"  No,  Alice,  there  is  nothing  to  be  afraid  of,"  said  Mr. 
Stannard.  "  Gilbert  is  too  sensible  to  run  any  risk  when 
Commodore  Dupont  could  occupy  Florida  in  a  few  days  ; 
there  would  be  no  excuse  for  the  foolhardiness  of  coming 
here  until  the  Federals  are  masters." 

"  Particularly  now  that  people  are  more  than  ever  ready 
to  break  out  into  violence,"  answered  Zermah. 

"  The  town,  this  morning,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "  is  in  a 
very  excited  state,  I  saw  who  are  the  ringleaders,  and  I 
heard  them.  Texar  is  with  them,  and  is  urging  them  on 
and  exciting  tliem.  The  scoundrels  will  end  by  raising 
the  lower  classes  not  only  against  the  magistrates,  but 
against  all  who  do  not  agree  with  them." 


JACKSON  VILLI.  6 1 

"  Do  you  not  think,  Mr.  Stannard,"  said  Zermah,  "  that 
it  would  be  better  for  you  to  leave  Jacksonville — at  all 
events  for  a  short  time.  It  would  be  wisest  not  to  come 
back  till  after  the  coming  of  the  Federal  troops.  Mr.  Bur-. 
bank  told  me  to  tell  you  that  he  would  be  glad  to  see  you 
and  Miss  Alice  at  Castle  House." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Mr.  Stannard.  "  I  have  not  for- 
gotten Mr.  Burbank's  offer.  But  is  Castle  House  any  safer 
than  Jacksonville  ?  If  these  adventurers  become  masters 
here,  will  they  not  spread  over  the  country,  and  will  the 
plantations  escape  their  ravages  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Stannard,"  said  Zermah,  "  it  seems  to  me  that  if 
there  is  any  danger  it  would  be  better  to  be  together." 

"  Zermah  is  right,  father.  It  would  be  better  for  us  all 
to  be  at  Camdless  Bay." 

"  Certainly,  Alice,"  said  Mr.  Stannard.  "  I  am  not 
going  to  refuse  Burbank's  invitation  ;  but  I  don't  think  the 
danger  is  so  pressing.  Z'^rmah  can  tell  our  friends  that  it 
will  take  me  a  few  days  more  to  put  things  in  order,  and 
then  we  will  avail  ourselves  of  the  hospitality  of  Castle 
House." 

"And  when  Mr.  Gilbert  arrives,"  said  Zermah,  "he  will 
at  least  find  there  all  he  loves." 

Leaving  Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daughter,  Zermah  made 
her  way  through  the  crowd,  which  grew  more  and  more 
excited,  and  regained  the  pier,  where  the  overseer  was 
waiting  for  her.  They  got  into  the  boat,  and  Mr.  Perry 
resumed  the  usual  conversation  at  the  very  point  he  had 
left  it. 

In  saying  that  the  danger  was  not  imminent  Mr.  Stan- 
nard was  mistaken.  Jacksonville  was  to  have  immediate 
experience  of  the  effects  of  the  war. 

The  Federal  Government  acted  throughout  with  much 
circumspection  ;  they  proceeded  step  by  step.  Two  years 
after  the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  Abraham  Lincoln  had  still 
to  proclaim  the  abolition  of  slavery  throughout  the  whole 
territory.  Many  months  were  still  to  elapse  before  the 
president's  message  proposed  to  solve  the  slave  question 
by  gradually  buying  out  and   emancipating  the   blacks, 


62  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

before  the  vote  was  passed  of  200,000/.,  with  the  authority, 
by  way  of  indemnity,  to  give  60/.  for  every  slave  freed.  If 
some  of  the  Northern  generals  had  been  authorized  to  sup- 
press slavery  in  the  counties  invaded  by  their  armies,  they 
had,  up  to  then,  disavowed  it.  Opinions  were  not  unani- 
mous on  the  subject,  and  there  were  several  Unionist 
chiefs  reported  to  be  against  the  measure,  as  being  neither 
logical  nor  opportune. 

Meanwhile  the  war  dragged  on,  and  much  to  the  disad- 
vantage of  the  Confederates.  General  Price,  on  the  13th 
of  February,  had  had  to  evacuate  Arkansas  with  his  con- 
tingqjnt  of  Missouri  militia. 

We  have  seen  that  Fort  Henry  was  captured  and 
occupied  by  the  Federals.  Now  they  were  attacking  Fort 
Donelson,  which  was  defended  by  powerful  artillery  and 
covered  by  three  miles  of  works,  embi;acing  the  little  town  of 
Dover.  Notwithstanding  the  cold  and  the  snow,  the  fort, 
attacked  on  the  land  by  the  1 5,000  iben  under  General  Grant 
and  on  the  water  by  the  gunboats  of  Commodore  Foote,  sur- 
rendered on  the  14th  of  February,  with  an  entire  division 
of  men  and  materials  of  war. 

This  was  a  serious  check  for  the  Confederates.  The 
effect  produced  by  the  defeat  was  immense.  As  an  imme- 
diate consequence  came  the  retreat  of  General  Johnston, 
who  had  to  abandon  the  important  town  of  Nashville  on 
the  Cumberland.  The  inhabitants  were  seized  with  panic, 
and  left  it  as  soon  as  he  had  gone,  and  a  few  days  after- 
wards the  same  thing  happened  at  Columbus.  The  whole 
State  of  Kentucky  was  thus  in  Federal  hands. 

We  can  easily  imagine  with  what  feelings  of  anger  and 
ideas  of  revenge  these  events  were  received  in  Florida. 
The  authorities  were  powerless  to  arrest  the  agitation, 
which  spread  to  the  most  distant  villages  in  the  counties. 
The  danger  hourly  increased  for  those  who  did  not  share 
in  the  opinions  of  the  Southerners  and  join  in  the  plans  of 
resistance  against  the  Federal  troops.  At  Tallahassee  and 
St.  Augustine  there  were  troubles  which  were  easily  put 
down  ;  but  at  Jacksonville  the  rising  of  the  populace 
threatened  to  degenerate  into  acts  of  unqualified  violence. 


jACKSONVTLLB.  6^ 

The  position  at  Camdless  Bay  became  more  and  more 
disquieting.  With  his  men  so  thoroughly  devoted  to  him, 
James  Burbank  might  perhaps  hold  out  for  a  time,  although 
it  was  then  very  difficult  to  procure  arms  and  ammunition 
in  sufficient  quantities.  At  Jacksonville,  Mr.  Stannard  was 
in  great  danger  of  losing  his  house,  his  daughter,  and  all  he 
possessed.  James  Burbank  knowing  how  he  was  placed, 
wrote  him  letter  after  letter.  He  sent  many  messengers 
asking  him  to  come  to  Castle  House  without  delay. 
There  he  would  be  in  comparative  safety,  and  if  he  had  to 
find  another  retreat,  if  he  had  to  take  refuge  in  the  interior 
until  the  Federals  had  quieted  the  country  by  their  pre- 
sence, it  would  be  easier  for  him  to  do  so. 

Mr.  Stannard  at  last  resolved  to  leave  Jacksonville  and 
take  refuge  at  Camdless  Bay.  He  started  on  the  morning 
of  the  23rd,  with  as  much  secrecy  as  possible,  and  without 
informing  any  one  of  his  plans.  A  boat  waited  for  him  at 
a  little  creek  about  a  mile  up  the  St.  John's.  Alice  and  he 
reached  it  in  safety,  crossed  the  river,  and  landed  at  the 
Camdless  Bay  pier,  where  the  Burbanks  were  waiting  for 
them. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  their  reception.  Was  not  Alice 
already  Mrs.  Burbank's  daughter  ?  Now  they  were  re- 
united. The  dark  days  that  were  coming  would  be  passed 
together  in  greater  safety  and  less  anxiety. 

It  was  indeed  time  to  leave  Jacksonville.  The  next  day 
Mr.  Stannard's  house  was  attacked  by  a  lot  of  scoundrels, 
who  marked  their  violence  under  a  show  of  local  patriotism. 
The  authorities  had  great  difficulty  in  saving  the  house 
from  pillage,  and  in  protecting  some  other  houses  belonging 
to  honest  citizens  who  did  not  share  in  the  opinions  of  the 
mob.  Evidently  the  hour  was  coming  when  the  magistrates 
would  be  replaced  by  the  chiefs  of  the  rioters,  who  were 
doing  their  best  to  increase  the  excitement. 

As  Mr.  Stannard  had  told  Zermah,  Texar  had  left  his 
unknown  retreat  and  was  in  Jacksonville  among  his  habitual 
companions,  who  had  been  recruited  from  the  very  worst 
of  the  population,  drawn  from  the  plantations  up  the  river. 
These  scoundrels  had  resolved  that  they  would  have  their 
5 


64  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

way  in  the  towns  as  they  had  had  it  in  the  country.  They 
corresponded  with  their  adherents  in  the  different  counties 
of  Florida,  and  by  keeping  the  question  of  slavery  well  to 
the  front,  gained  In  numbers  every  day.  In  a  short  time 
at  Jacksonville,  as  at  St.  Augustine,  the  vagabonds,  ad- 
venturers, and  backwoodsmen  who  had  come  crowding  in, 
would  become  the  masters  and  have  the  military  and  civil 
power  in  their  hands.  The  militia  and  regular  troops 
would  hasten  to  make  common  cause  with  them,  as  has 
often  happened  in  times  of  trouble  when  violence  is  the 
order  of  the  day. 

James  Burbank  was  fully  aware  of  what  was  passing. 
Many  of  his  confidential  agents,  on  whom  he  could  depend, 
kept  him  informed  of  what  was  taking  place  at  Jackson- 
ville. He  knew  that  Texar  had  reappeared  there,  and  that 
his  detestable  influence  had  extended  over  the  whole  of  the 
lower  population  which,  like  him,  was  of  Spanish  origin. 
Such  a  man  at  the  head  of  affairs  was  a  direct  menace  to 
Camdless  Bay.  And  so  Burbank  was  making  ready  for 
either  resistance^  if  it  were  possible,  or  retreat  if  it  became 
necessary  to  abandon  Castle  House  to  fire  and  pillage. 
Above  all  things  to  provide  for  the  safety  of  his  family  and 
friends  was  his  first  and  constant  care. 

During  these  days  Zermah's  devotion  knew  no  bounds. 
At  all  hours  she  watched  the  boundaries  of  the  plantation, 
particularly  on  the  river  side.  A  few  slaves,  chosen  from 
among  the  most  intelligent  and  best,  lived  day  and  night 
at  posts  which  had  been  assigned  to  them.  Any  attempt 
against  the  estate  would  have  been  reported  immediately. 
The  Burbanks  would  not  be  taken  unawares,  without  having 
time  to  take  refuge  in  Castle  House. 

But  James  Burbank  need  not  have  been  so  anxious 
about  a  direct  strong-handed  attack.  So  long  as  the 
authority  was  not  in  the  hands  of  Texar  and  his  people 
there  was  no  abandonment  of  official  form.  Under  the 
pressure  of  public  opinion  the  magistrates  were  brought  to 
decide  on  a  measure  that  would  give  a  sort  of  satisfaction 
to  the  slavery  partisans,  who  were  so  incensed  against  the 
North,  '^  '  _  s 


JACKSONVILLE.  6$ 

Burbank  was  the  most  important  of  the  Florida  planters, 
the  richest  of  those  who  were  known  to  hold  liberal  opinions. 
It  was  he  who  was  first  thought  of  to  give  an  explanation 
of  his  personal  ideas  on  enfranchisement  in  the  midst  of  a 
slaveholding  country. 

In  the  evening  of  the  26th  an  orderly  from  Jacksonville 
arrived  at  Camdless  Bay,  and  handed  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  him.     This  is  what  the  envelope  contained: — 

"Mr.  James  Burbank  is  ordered  to  present  himself  in 
person  to-morrow,  the  27th  February,  at  eleven  o'clock  in 
the  mornino^,  at  the  Court  of  Justice  before  the  authorities 
of  Jacksonville." 

That  was  all. 


^m 


66  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BEFORE   THE    COURT. 

If  this  was  not  the  clap  of  thunder,  it  was  the  lightning- 
flash  that  preceded  it. 

If  James  Burbank  was  not  shaken  by  it,  what  were  the 
feelings  of  his  family  ?  Why  should  the  owner  of  Camdless 
Bay  be  summoned  to  Jacksonville  ?  It  was  indeed  a  sum- 
mons, not  an  invitation,  to  appear  before  the  authorities. 
What  were  they  going  to  do  ?  Was  this  the  beginning  of 
some  prosecution  against  him  ?  Was  it  his  liberty  or  his 
life  that  was  in  danger .?  If  he  obej^ed — if  he  left  Castle 
House — would  they  let  him  come  back  ?  If  he  did  not 
obey,  would  they  use  force  to  bring  him  ?  And  in  that 
case  to  what  dangers,  to  what  violence,  would  his  people 
be  exposed .-' 

"You  shall  not  go,  James." 

It  was  Mrs.  Burbank,  who  spoke  in  the  name  of  all. 

"  No,  Mr.  Burbank,"  said  Alice.  "  You  must  not  think 
of  leaving  us — " 

"  To  put  yourself  in  the  power  of  such  people,"  added 
Carrol. 

Burbank  did  not  answer.  When  he  first  read  the  curt 
order  to  appear  he  liad  become  so  angry  that  he  could 
scarcely  restrain  himself  What  had  happened  to  make 
the  magistrates  so  daring?  Had  Texar's  companions  and 
partisans  found  their  way  into  office  ?  Had  they  procured 
the  dismissal  of  the  authorities  who  had  hitherto  acted  with 
some  moderation  ?  No.  Overseer  Perry  had  returned 
in  the  afternoon  from  Jacksonville  and  brought  no  such 
news. 

"  Could  it  be  some  event  of  the  war  ? "  said  Mr.  Stan- 


BEFORE  THE  COURT.  ^J 

nard  ;  "some  advantage  gained  by  the  Southerners  which 
has  led  them  to  attack  us  ? " 

"  I  am  afraid  that  must  be  it,"  said  Edward  Carrol.  "  If 
the  North  has  experienced  some  check,  these  scoundrels 
will  fancy  they  are  no  more  in  danger  from  Commo- 
dore Dupont,  and  are  capable  of  proceeding  to  any 
excess." 

"They  say  that  in  Texas,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "the 
Federal  troops  have  had  to  retire  before  the  militia,  and 
re-cross  the  Rio  Grande,  after  a  severe  defeat  at  Valverde. 
At  least,  that  is  what  I  was  told  by  a  Jacksonville  man  I 
met  about  an  hour  ago." 

"  Evidently  that  is  what  has  made  these  fellows  so  bold," 
said  Carrol. 

"  Then  Sherman's  army  and  Dupont's  flotilla  will  not 
come !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Burbank. 

"  It  is  only  the  26th  of  February,"  said  Alice,  "  and, 
according  to  Gilbert's  letter,  the  Federal  ships  will  not  be 
ready  for  sea  before  the  28th." 

"  Then  you  want  the  time  to  get  down  to  the  mouths  of 
the  St.  John's,"  added  Mr.  Stannard,  "  to  force  the  passes, 
clear  the  bar,  and  make  a  descent  on  Jacksonville.  That 
will  take  ten  days." 

"  Ten  days  ?  "  said  Alice. 

"Ten  days!"  added  Mrs.  Burbank.  "And  before  then 
what  may  not  happen  to  us  ?  " 

James  Burbank  took  no  part  in  the  conversation.  He 
.was  thinking.  He  was  asking  himself  what  he  was  to  do. 
To  refuse  to  obey  was  to  see  the  whole  populace  of  Jack- 
sonville advance  on  Camdless  Bay  with  the  open  or  tacit 
approval  of  the  authorities.  How  great  would  then  be  the 
danger  to  his  family !  Better  risk  his  own  safety  than 
theirs.  If  his  life  or  liberty  were  in  peril,  better  that  the 
peril  should  threaten  him  alone. 

Mrs.  Burbank  looked  at  her  husband  with  the  keenest 
anxiety.  She  felt  that  he  was  fighting  a  battle  with  him- 
self. She  hesitated  to  que<^tion  him.  Neither  Alice,  nor 
Stannard,  nor  Carrol  dare  ask  him  v/bat  his  answer  was  to 
be.     It  was  little  Dy  who,  unconsciously,  no  doubt,  made 


68  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

herself  the  mouthpiece  of  the  family.  She  had  gone  near 
her  father,  who  took  her  on  his  knee. 

"  Father  !  "  said  she. 

"  What  is  it,  dear  ? " 

"  Are  you  going  to  those  wicked  people  who  want  to  do 
you  such  harm  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  will  go." 

"  James  I  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Burbank. 

"  I  must ;  it  is  my  duty,     I  will  go !  " 

James  Burbank  had  spoken  so  resolutely  that  it  was 
useless  to  say  anything  against  his  determination.  He  had 
evidently  thought  over  all  the  consequences.  His  wife 
went  and  sat  beside  him,  and  put  her  arms  round  him,  but 
she  said  nothing.     And  what  could  she  say  ? 

"  My  friends,"  said  Burbank,  "  it  is  possible  that  we  are 
exaggerating  the  importance  of  this  arbitrary  act.  What 
can  they  say  against  me.?  Nothing,  as  they  know  well. 
Accuse  me  of  my  opinions  }  My  opinions  are  my  own.  I 
have  never  hidden  them  from  my  adversaries  ;  and,  as  long 
as  I  live,  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  proclaim  them  to  their  face." 

"  We  will  go  with  you,  James  !  "  said  Carrol. 

"Yes,"  added  Stannard.  "We  will  not  let  you  go  to 
Jacksonville  alone." 

"  No,  my  friends,"  answered  Burbank.  "  To  me  alone 
comes  the  order  to  appear  before  the  magistrates,  and  I 
alone  will  go.  I  may  be  kept  there  for  some  days.  It  is, 
therefore,  better  that  you  stay  at  Camdless  Bay.  To  you 
I  entrust  my  family  during  my  absence." 

"  And  you  are  really  going .-'  "  said  Dy. 

"Yes,  my  little  daughter,"  said  Burbank  playfully;  "but 
if  I  do  not  lunch  with  you  to-morrow  I  will  coaie  back  to 
dinner,  and  we'll  pass  the  evening  together.  Now,  tell  me 
if,  while  I  am  at  Jacksonville,  there  is  anything  I  can  buy 
you  ?  What  can  I  do  to  please  you  ?  What  shall  I  bring 
you  ?  " 

"  BHng  yourself,  father,"  said  the  child  ;  and  at  this  ex- 
pression of  what  all  felt,  the  family  separated,  aUer  Burbank 
had  taken  such  measures  of  security  as  the  occasion 
required. 


BEFORE  THE  COURT.  6g 

The  night  passed  without  an  alarm.  In  the  morning 
Burbank  was  awake  with  the  dawn,  and  was  soon  on  his 
way  down  the  avenue  of  bamboos  leading  to  the  pier. 
There  he  gave  orders  for  a  boat  to  be  ready  at  eight  o'clock 
to  take  him  across  the  river. 

As  he  returned  to  Castle  House  from  the  pier  he  was 
met  by  Zermah. 

"  Master,"  she  said,  "  your  mind  is  ifiade  up }  You  are 
going  to  Jacksonville  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Zermah,  and  in  the  interest  of  all.  You  understand, 
do  you  not  ?  " 

"Yes,  master.  A  refusal  on  your  part  would  bring 
Texar's  mob  on  Cimdless  Bay." 

"  And  that  is  a  serious  danger  which  must  be  avoided  at 
all  cost,"  said  Burbank. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  wish  you  to  remain  on  the  planta- 
tion. It  is  necessary  that  you  should  be  near  my  wife, 
near  my  child,  in  case  any  danger  should  threaten  them 
before  my  return." 

"  I  will  not  leave  them." 

"  You  have  no  news  ?  " 

"  No  !  It  is  true,  however,  that  suspicious  characters 
are  prowling  around  the  plantation.  They  have  been 
watched.  Last  night  two  or  three  boats  crossed  the  river. 
Do  they  think  that  Mr.  Gilbert  is  with  the  Federals  under 
Commodore  Dupont,  and  is  coming  secretly  to  Camdless 
Bay  ? " 

"My  brave  boy!"  said  Burbank.  *' No  I  he  is  too 
sensible  to  be  so  rash." 

"  I  am  afraid  Texar  has  some  suspicion  on  the  subject. 
They  tell  me  his  influence  gets  greater  every  day.  When 
you  are  at  Jacksonville  beware  of  Texar,  master —  " 

"  Yes,  Zermah,  as  of  a  poisonous  reptile  !  But  I  am  on 
my  guard.  While  I  am  away,  if  he  makes  any  attempt 
against  Castle  House — " 

**  Never  fear,  master,  for  yourself;  and  never  fear  for  us. 
Your  slaves  will  defend  the  plantation,  and,  if  necessary, 
will  die  to  the  last  man.     They  are  devoted  to  you.     They 


70  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

love  you.  I  know  what  they  think,  what  they  say,  what 
they  will  do.  There  have  been  people  here  from  other 
plantations  to  raise  them  against  you,  but  they  will  not 
listen  to  them.  They  are  all  one  family  with  yours,  and 
you  can  depend  upon  them." 

"  I  know  it,  Zermah,  and  I  trust  to  them." 

Burbank  returned  to  the  house.  The  moment  came  ; 
he  bid  farewell  to  'his  wife,  his  daughter,  and  Alice.  He 
promised  them  to  do  nothing  to  provoke  the  magistrates 
to  violence.  He  would  be  sure  to  come  back  that  night. 
He  bid  everybody  good-bye  and  left  them.  Certainly 
James  Burbank  had  much  to  fear  for  himself;  but  there 
was  much  to  be  feared  for  those  he  left  at  Castle  House. 

Stannard  and  Carrol  went  with  him  to  the  landing-place 
at  the  end  of  the  avenue.  There  he  gave  them  his  last 
instructions  ;  and  with  a  beautiful  breeze  from  the  south- 
west, the  boat  rapidly  left  the  pier  of  Camdless  Bay. 

An  hour  afterwards,  about  ten  o'clock,  Burbank  landed 
at  Jacksonville.  The  quay  was  then  deserted.  There 
were  only  a  few  sailors  discharging  the  cargoes  of  the 
dogger-boats.  He  was  not  recognized  ;  his  arrival  was 
not  announced  at  all,  and  he  was  able  to  cross  to  the 
end  of  the  harbour  and  call  on  one  of  his  friends,  Mr. 
Harvey. 

Mr.  Harvey  was  much  surprised  and  uneasy  at  seeing 
him.  He  had  not  thought  that  he  would  have  obeyed  the 
order  to  present  himself  at  the  court.  In  the  town  it  was 
not  thought  that  he  would.  As  to  who  had  been  the  cause 
of  the  order  being  given,  Mr.  Harvey  did  not  know.  Pro- 
bably, with  a  view  to  sati^^y  public  opinion,  the  magistrates 
were  going  to  ask  him  to  explain  his  conduct  since  the 
beginning  of  the  war,  particularly  with  regard  to  his  slaves. 
Perhaps  they  were  going  to  keep  the  richest  Federal  farmer 
in  Florida  as  a  hostage.  Would  it  not  have  been  better 
to  have  stopped  at  Camdless  Bay  ?  So  thought  Mr.  Har- 
vey. Could  he  not  go  back  as  nobody  knew  he  had 
come  ? 

Burbank  had  not  come  merely  to  go  back  again.  He 
wished  to  know  what  it  was  all  about,  and  he  would  know. 


BEFOKL    iiiE   COURT.  7l 

Some  very  interesting  questions  as  to  the  state  of  affairs 
generally  were  then  put  by  him  to  his  correspondent. 

Had  the  authorities  been  replaced  by  the  ringleaders  of 
:he  mob  ? 

Not  yet,  but  their  position  had  become  precarious. 

Had  the  Spaniard  Texar  any  hand  in  the  popular  move- 
nent  that  was  about  to  take  place  ? 

Yes.  He  was  looked  upon  as  the  leader  of  the  advanced 
slave-holding  party  in  Florida.  He  and  his  companions 
A'ould  probably  soon  be  masters  of  the  town. 

Had  the  last  news  from  the  war  been  confirmed  ? 

It  had  been.  The  organization  of  the  Southern  States 
lad  just  been  completed.  On  the  22nd  of  February  the 
government  had  been  definitely  formed,  with  Jefferson 
Davis  as  President  and  Stephens  as  Vice-President,  and 
:hey  had  been  invested  with  power  for  six  years.  Con- 
i^ress,  composed  of  two  houses,  had  assembled  at  Richmond, 
[efferson  Davis,  three  days  before,  had  asked  for  com- 
::)ulsory  service.  Since  then  the  Confederates  had  had  a 
'ew  successes  of  no  great  importance.  On  the  24th,  an 
mportant  detachment  of  WcClellan's  had  crossed  the 
Upper  Potomac,  and  the  Southerners  had  consequently 
evacuated  Columbus.  A  great  battle  was  imminent  on 
:he  Mississippi  between  them  and  the  army  of  General 
Srant. 

And  how  about  the  squadron  that  Dupont  was  to  bring 
to  the  mouths -of  the  St.  John's  ? 

Rumours  were  afloat  that  in  ten  days  it  would  attempt 
to  force  the  passes.  If  Texar  and  his  partisans  were  medi- 
tating an  outbreak  to  get  the  town  into  their  hands,  no 
time  was  to  be  lost. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  at  Jacksonville  ;  and  who 
:ould  tell  if  the  Burbank  incident  would  not  hasten  the 
catastrophe  .-* 

When  the  time  came  for  him  to  appear  James  Burbank  left 
!-iis  friend's  house  and  walked  to  the  Courts  of  Justice, 
'"here  was  much  excitement  in  the  streets.  1  he  people 
w'c'TQ  crowding  towards  the  courts.  It  seemed  as  tlit,>u  .;h 
the  case,  though  it  might  be  of  little  importance  in  itself, 


73  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

would  bring  about  a  rising  that  might  have  deplorable 
consequences. 

The  square  was  full  of  people,  mostly  of  the  poorer 
whites,  half-breeds,  and  negroes.  Naturally  they  were 
noisy.  If  those  who  could  obtain  admission  to  the  court 
were  few,  a  good  many  of  Texar's  partisans  would  never- 
theless be  there.  With  them  would  be  a  sprinkling  of 
law-abiding  citizens  opposed  to  such  an  act  of  injustice, 
but  it  would  be  difficult  for  them  to  withstand  the  party 
bent  on  removing  the  authorities  of  Jacksonville. 

As  soon  as  Burbank  appeared  in  the  square  he  was 
recognized.  A  loud  shouting  arose  ;  and  it  was  not  in  his 
favour.  A  few  courageous  citizens  surrounded  him,  having 
no  intention  that  an  honourable  and  much-respected  man 
should  be  exposed  to  the  brutalities  of  the  mob.  In 
obeying  the  summons  he  had  received  Burbank  had  shown 
his  dignity  and  decision  of  character,  and  his  doing  so 
was  worthy  of  recognition.  He  was  therefore  able  to 
make  his  way  across  the  square.  He  reached  the  door  of 
the  court,  entered,  and  stopped  at  the  bar  to  which  he  had 
been  so  unjustly  summoned. 

The  chief  magistrate  of  the  town  and  his  assistants 
were  already  on  the  bench.  They  were  moderate,  reason- 
able men.  The  menaces  and  recriminations  to  which  they 
had  been  subject  ever  since  the  outbreak  of  the  war  may 
be  imagined.  To  remain  at  their  posts  required  no  little 
courage  and  energy.  It  was  only  because  the  slave  ques- 
tion caused  less  excitement  in  Florida  than  in  the  other 
states  of  the  South  that  they  had  been  able  to  withstand 
the  attacks  of  the  turbulent  party.  Secessionist  ideas 
were,  however,  making  way  ;  and  with  them  the  influence 
of  the  lower  classes  and  adventurous  vagabonds  daily  in- 
creased ;  and  it  was  to  satisfy  public  opinion,  to  a  certain 
extent  under  the  pressure  of  the  more  violent  agitators, 
that  the  magistrates  had  decided  to  summon  James  Bur- 
bank, on  information  given  by  one  of  their  leaders — the 
Spaniard  Texar. 

The  murmur — of  approbation  from  one  side,  of  disap- 
probation from  another — which  greeted  the  proprietor  of 


BEFORE  THE  COURT.  73 

'amdless  Bay  as  he  entered  the  court  soon  subsided. 
Erect,  with  the  dauntless  look  of  a  man  that  had  never 
ailed,  he  did  not  even  wait  for  the  magistrate  to  ask  him 
he  usual  questions,  but  in  a  firm  voice  he  said, — 

''You  asked  for  James  Burbank.  James  Burbank  is 
before  you." 

After  the  first  formalities,  to  which  Burbank  answered 
very  briefly,  he  said,  "  Of  what  am  I  accused  ?" 

Of  opposing  by  word,  and  probably  by  deed,  such 
ideas  and  hopes  as  are  now  held  by  the  majority  in 
Florida.'' 

"  And  who  is  my  accuser  ?  " 

"  I  am." 

It  was  Texar.  Burbank  recognized  his  voice.  He  did 
not  even  turn  his  head  ;  he  contented  himself  with 
shrugging  his  shoulders  in  token  of  his  contempt  for  his 
accuser. 

On  the  other  hand,  Texar's  partisans  encouraged  their 
leader  by  voice  and  gesture. 

"  And  in  the  first  place/'  said  he,  "  I  tell  James  Burbank 
to  his  face  that  he  is  a  Northerner  !  His  presence  at 
Jacksonville,  in  a  Confederate  State,  is  a  standing  insult. 
He  is  a  Northerner  at  heart  and  by  birth  ;  why  has  he  not 
gone  back  to  the  North  ?  " 

"  I  am  in  Florida,"  replied  Burbank,  "  because  it  suits 
me  to  be  there.  I  have  lived  in  the  county  for  twenty  years. 
If  I  was  not  born  in  it  you  know  at  least  where  I  came 
from ;  and  that  is  more  than  you  can  say  for  those  whose 
past  is  unknown,  and  who  live  not  in  the  light  of  day,  and 
whose  private  life  ought  to  be  inquired  into  much  more 
than  mine." 

Although  this  was  a  direct  attack  on  Texar,  he  made  no 
sign. 

"  What  next  ?  "  asked  Burbank. 

"  Next,"  said  the  Spaniard,  "  when  the  country  has  risen 
for  the  maintenance  of  slavery,  and  is  ready  to  shed  its 
blood  to  repulse  the  Federal  troops,  I  accuse  James  Bur- 
bank of  being  an  anti-slavery  man,  and  the  head  of  an 
unti-slavery  propaganda." 


74  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


lisi 


"  James  Burbank,"  said  the  magistrate,  "  in  the  circui 

stances  in  which  we  are  placed,  you  will  understand  thij^" 
tliis  charge  is  of  exceptional  gravity.     I  shall  be  glad 
have  your  answer." 

"  Sir,"  said   Burbank,  "  my  answer  is  very  simple. 
have  assisted  in  no  propaganda,  nor  do  I  intend  doing  sH^^^ 
The  charge  is  false.     As  to  my  opinions  on  slavery,  if 
am  permitted  to  refer  to  them  here,  I  may  say  that  I  a 
an  abolitionist !     I  deplore  the  strife  that  is  raging  betwe< 
tiie  South  and  the  North.     I  am  afraid  that  the  South 
inarching   to   inevitable   disaster,   and    it  is    in    her   owjese 
interest  that  I  wish  to  see  her  on  another  road  instead  per 
engaging  in  a  war  against  common  sense.     You  will  r 
member  some  day  that  those  who  spoke  to  you  as  I  alt  if 
speaking  were  in  the  right.     When  the  time  has  come  ftmy 
a  change,  for  a  step  in  moral  progress,  it  is  foolish  to  witl 
stand  it.     The  separation  of  the  North   from  the  Scut  m[ 
would  be  a  crime  against  the  American  country.     Neith<  ra 
reason,   nor  justice,  nor  force  is  on   your   side,  and   tliplv 
crime  will  never  be  accomplished." 

These  words  were   received  with  a  few  shouts  of  a} 
proval,  speedily  drowned  in  more  noisy  demonstration  ani( 
The  majority  were  not  prepared  to  accept  them. 

When  the  magistrate  had  obtained  silence  in  the  ecu: 
James  Burbank  continued  : — 

"  And  nov/,"  said  he,  "  I  am  ready  for  more  precislk 
charges,  as  to  facts,  be  it  understood,  and  I  will  reply  t  lo 
them  when  you  tell  me  what  they  are." 

The  magistrates  were  much  embarrassed  by  this  dign 
fied  bearing.     They  knew  of  no  fact  that  could  be  charge  ord 
against  Mr.  Burbank.     Their  object  had  been  to  let  tl  luri 
ch<;rges  be  made  and  let  them  be  proved,  if  proofs  existe<  tiv 

Texar  saw  that  he  must  explain  in  greater  detail  or  1:  k 
would  fail.  tin 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  he.     "  But  it  is  not  my  notion  of  what :  " 
best  to  invoke  freedom  of  opinion  on  the  slave  questia  k 
when  the  country  has  risen  in  support  of  the  clause.     Bt 
if  James  Burbank  has  the  right  to  think  as  he  likes  on  th  if 
subject — if  it  is  true  that  he  abstains  from  making  converl  » 


BEFORE  THE  COURT.  75 

his  ideas,  at  least  he  might  abstain  from  corresponding 

th  the  enemy  at  the  gates  of  Florida." 

This  accusation  of  complicity  with  the   Federals  was  a 

ry  serious  one  at  that  time,  and  hence  the  thrill  of  ex- 

ement  that  ran  through  the  audience.     It  was,  however, 
11  vague,  and  had  to  be  proved. 
You  pretend  that  I  correspond  with  the  enemy?" 
Yes,"  said  Texar. 

'•  Prove  it.     I  should  like  you  to." 

Very  well,"  said  Texar.     "  About  three  weeks  ago  a 

essenger  to  James    Burbank   left  the   Federal  army,  or 

ther,  the  flotilla  of  Commodore  Dupont.     The  man  came 

Camdless  Bay,  and  he  was  followed  from  the  time  he 

ft  the  plantation  till  he  re-crossed  the  frontier.     Do  you 

ny  that  ?  " 

Evidently  this  was  the  messenger  who  had  brought  the 
)ung    lieutenant^s  letter.      Texar's   spies   had    not   been 

ceived.  This  time  the  charge  was  definite,  and  Burbank's 
iply  was  anxiously  waited  for. 

He  did  not  hesitate  to  tell  them  what  was  only  the  truth. 

"Yes/'  said  he,  "a  man  did  come  about  that  time  to 
amdless  Bay,  but  the  man  was  only  a  messenger.  He 
d  not  belong  to  the  Federal  army,  and  he  simply  brought 
letter  from  my  son — " 

From  your  son,^'  interrupted  Texar  ;  "  from  your  son, 
ho,  if  we  are  correctly  informed,  is  in  the  Unionist  service, 
ho  is,  perhaps,  in  the  van  of  the  invaders  now  on  the 
arch  to  Florida." 

The  vehemence  with  which  Texar  pronounced  these 
fords  made  a  strong  impression  on  the  people  in  the 
OUrt.  If  James  Burbank,  after  admitting  that  he  had  re- 
eved a  letter  from  his  son,  admitted  that  Gilbert  was  in 
le  Federal  army,  how  could   he  get   over  the  charge  of 

ing  in  communication  with  the  enenAies  of  the  South? 

"  Will  you  reply  to  the  evidence  against  your  son  ? " 
^ked  the  magistrate. 

No,  sir,"  replied  Burbank,  "  I  have  nothing  to  say  in 
lie  matter.  There  is  no  charge  against  my  son  that  I 
now  of.     I  alone  ani  accused  of  holding  communication 


^6  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

with  the  Federal  army,  and  I  deny  it,  and  I  defy  this  mz 
who  attacks  me  on  account  of  his  own  personal  hatn 
towards  me  to  bring  forward  a  single  proof." 

"  He  admits,  then,  that  his  son  is  now  fighting  again 
the  Confederates ! "  exclaimed  Texar. 

"  I  admit  nothing,"  said  Burbank.     "  It  is  for  you 
prove  the  charge  you- bring  against  me." 

"  Good  !  I  will  prove  it,"  replied  Texar.  "  In  a  few  da) 
I  shall  be  in  possession  of  the  proof  you  ask,  and  when 
have  it — " 

•'When  you  have  it,"  replied  the  magistrate,  "we  ca 
lake  it  into  consideration.  Until  then,  I  do  not  see  whs 
charges  Mr.  Burbank  has  to  answer." 

In  deciding  in  this  way  the  magistrate  acted  like  a 
honest  man.  He  was  right  undoubtedly  ;  unfortunatel)^  h 
was  wrong  to  be  right  with  a  public  so  prejudiced  agains 
the  planter  of  Camdless  Bay.  And  then  followed  a 
ominous  murmuring,  and  even  protesting,  on  the  part  c 
Texar's  companions.  The  Spaniard  saw  how  things  wer, 
going,  and  abandoning  the  charges  against  Gilbert  Burbanli 
returned  to  those  against  his  father. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  will  prove  all  that  I  have  advance 
with  regard  to  James  Burbank's  being  in  communicatioij 
with  the  enemy  preparing  to  _ invade  Florida.  Meanwhile 
the  opinions  he  publicly  professes — opinions  so  dangerou 
for  the  cause  of  slavery — constitute  a  public  danger  ;  and 
in  the  name  of  all  the  slaveholders  who  will  not  submit  td 
the  yoke  of  the  North,  I  demand  that  he  be  secured."         j 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  "  exclaimed  the  partisans  of  Texar,  whih 
some  of  the  audience  endeavoured  in  vain  to  protest  againsi 
the  unjustifiable  proposal. 

The  magistrate  succeeded  in  quieting  the  assembly,  and 
then  Burbank  replied, — 

"  I  shall  do  all  that  my  strength  and  my  rights  allow  mr 
to  oppose  such  tyranny.  I  am  an  abolitionist.  And 
I  have  already  told  you  so.  But  opinion  is  free,  I  suppose, 
in  a  system  of  government  founded  on  freedom.  Up  to 
now  it  has  not  been  a  crime  to  be  an  anti-slavery  man,  and 
as  I  am  not  a  criminal  the  law  is  powerless  to  punish  me," 


BEFORE  THE  COtJRT.  'Ji 

Renewed  shouts  of  approval  seemed  to  show  that  Bur- 
bank  was  getting  the  best  of  it.  Texar  saw  that  the  time 
had  come  to  change  his  batteries.  We  need  not,  therefore, 
be  surprised  when  he  hurled  at  Burbank  the  following 
unexpected  challenge  : — 

"  Well,  if  you  do  not  believe  in  slavery,  why  do  you  not 
free  your  own  slaves  ?  " 

"  I  v/ill  do  so,"  answered  James  Burbank.  "  I  will  do  so 
as  soon  as  the  time  comes." 

"  Indeed  !  That  means  you  will  do  so  when  the  Federal 
army  is  in  possession  of  Florida.  You  want  Sherman's 
soldiers  and  Dui>ont's  sailors  to  give  you  courage  to  act  up 
to  your  ideas  !     That  is  prudent,  but  it  is  cowardly." 

"  Cowardly  ! ".  exclaimed  Burbank  indignantly,  and  not 
seeing  the  snare  spread  for  him. 

"  Yes,  cowardl)',"  said  Texar.  "  You  dare  not  put  your 
ideas  into  practice  !  You  only  want  to  curry  popularity  with 
the  Northerners  1  You  are  an  abolitionist  only  for  appear- 
ance sake;  at  heart  you  are  a  slavery  man." 

James  Burbank  drew  himself  up.  He  gave  his  opponent 
a  long  look  of  scorn.  Such  hypocrisy  was  manifestly 
absurdly  out  of  keeping  with  his  frank,  loyal  existence. 
In  a  clear,  decided  tone,  that  could  be  heard  by  all,  he 
said : — 

"  Inhabitants  of  Jacksonville,  from  this  day  forth  I  shall 
not  keep  a  slave.  This  very  day  I  proclaim  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  over  the  whole  plantation  of  Camdless 
Bay." 

yXt  first  this  bold  declaration  was  greeted  with  cheers. 
It  h.i.d  required  true  courage  to  do  such  a  thing — courage 
more  than  prudence  perhaps.  Burbank  had  allowed  his 
indii^nation  to  get  the  better  of  him. 

It  was  evident  that  his  action  would  compromise  the 
interests  of  the  other  Florida  planters,  and  at  once  a  reac- 
tion took  place  in  the  court.  The  applause  was  silenced 
by  the  vociferations  not  only  of  those  who  were  slaveholders 
on  principle,  but  of  those  who  till  then  had  been  indifferent 
on  the  slavery  question. 

And  Texar's  friends  would  have  profited  by  this  reaction 


78  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

to  commit  some  act  of  violence  on  James  Burbank  if  the 
Spaniard  himself  had  not  restrained  them. 

"  Leave  him  alone,"  said  he.  "  Burbank  has  disarmed 
himself.     Now  he  is  ours  !  " 

His  meaning  was  immediately  understood,  and  his  par- 
tisans refrained  from  any  act  of  violence.  He  even  felt  no 
misgivings  when  the  magistrates  told  Burbank  he  might  go 
—there  was  no  proof  to  warrant  his  incarceration.  If  the 
Spaniard  could  make  good  his  words  later  on,  and  produce 
witnesses  to  show  that  Burbank  was  in  communication  with 
the  enemy,  the  magistrates  could  take  action.  Until  then 
Burbank  was  free. 

True,  the  declaration  of  enfranchisement  relative  to 
Camdless  Bay  was  made  publicly,  and  might  eventually 
serve  as  a  pretence  on  the  part  of  the  mob  for  proceedings 
against  the  authorities  of  the  tov/n. 

As  he  left  the  court  Burbank  was  followed  by  a  dis- 
orderly crowd  very  evilly  disposed  towards  him,  but  the 
police  kept  them  from  assaulting  him.  There  were  shouts 
and  threats,  but  no  acts  of  violence.  Evidently  Texar's 
influence  protected  him. 

He  reached  the  quay,  where  his  boat  was  waiting. 
Thtre  he  took  leave  of  his.  friend  Mr.  Harvey;  and  then, 
pushing  off,  he  was  soon  out  of  range  of  the  vociferations 
with  which  the  rabble  of  Jacksonville  saluted  him  as  he 
left  them. 

As  the  tide  was  going  down,  the  boat  took  at  least  two 
hours  to  get  across  to  Camdless  Bay,  where  the  family  were 
waiting  for  him.  Great  was  their  joy  when  they  saw  him 
coming  back.  Many  reasons  had  they  had  for  fearing  he 
would  be  kept  awaj^  from  them. 

"  No,"  said  he  to  little  Dy  as  he  kissed  her ;  "  I  promised 
to  come  home  to  dinner,  my  dear,  and  you  know  I  never 
break  my  promises." 


THE  LAST   SLAVE.  ^0 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  LAST  SLAVE. 

That  evening  James  Burbank  told  his  people  what  had 
happened  at  the  court.  Texar's  hateful  conduct  was  re- 
vealed. It  was  at  his  instigation  that  the  summons  had 
been  sent  to  Camdless  Bay.  The  conduct  of  the  magis- 
trates had  been  worthy  of  praise.  When  the  charge  of 
communicating  with  the  Federals  had  been  made  they  had 
asked  for  the  proof,  and  as  the  proof  was  not  forthcoming 
Burbank  was  set  at  liberty. 

With  these  vague  charges  Gilbert's  name  had  been 
mixed  up.  There  could  not  be  much  doubt  that  the 
young  man  was  with  the  Northern  army.  Was  not 
James  Burbank's  refusal  a  half-admission  that  the  assertion 
was  true }  And  consequently  great  was  the  fear  and 
anxiety  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Burbank,  and  Alice,  and  all 
the  family.  If  the  son  could  not  be  g-^t  at  would  not  the 
rabble  of  Jacksonville  take  vengeance  on  his  father  ? 
Texar  had  boasted  thrt  in  a  few  days  he  would  produce 
his  proof;  and  it  was  not  impossible  that  he  could  do  so. 
What  would  have  to  be  done  then  ? 

"  Poor  Gilbert,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank,  "  to  know  he  is  so 
near  to  Texar,  who  will  stop  at  nothing  to  attain  his 
end." 

"  Could  we  not  let  him  know  what  is  happening  at 
Jacksonville  ? "  asked  Alice. 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "we  might  let  him  know  that 
the  slightest  imprudence  on  his  part  will  have  the  most 
deplorable  consequences  for  his  and  him." 

"And  how  are  we  to  let  him  know?"  asked  James 
Burbank.     "  There   are  spies   all   round   the   plantation ; 

6 


80  MORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

there  can  be  no  doubt  of  that.  The  messenger  Gilbert 
sent  was  watched  back  to  the  frontier.  Every  letter  we 
write  may  fall  into  Texar's  hands.  F,very  man  we  send 
with  a  verbal  message  may  be  arrested  on  the  road.  No, 
my  friends,  do  not  try  to  make  matters  worse.  May 
l^.eaven  send  the  Federals  into  Florida  without  delay ! 
It  is  time  they  came  now  ;  the  minority  of  honest  people 
is  threatened  by  the  scoundrels  of  the  country." 

James  Burbank  was  right.  Owing  to  the  watch  kept 
round  the  plantation  it  would  be  very  imprudent  to  hold 
any  communication  with  Gilbert.  And  the  time  was 
appr(>aching  when  he  and  his  people  would  be  in  safety 
under  the  protection  of  the  Federal  army. 

In  fact,  it  was  the  very  next  morning  that  Commodore 
Dupont  was  to  start  from  his  anchorage  at  Edisto.  In 
three  days  his  flotilla  would  have  dropped  down  the 
Georgia  coast  and  reached  St.  Andrew's  Bay. 

Then  James  Burbank  told  his  friends  of  the  very  serious 
matter  that  had  happened  before  the  ma'^istrates  ;  how  he 
had  been  led  to  reply  to  Texar's  taunt  as  to  the  slaves  at 
Camdless  Bay.  Strong  in  his  right,  strong  in  his  con- 
science, he  had  publicly  declared  the  abolition  of  slavery 
on  his  estate.  This  was  what  no  Southern  state  had  yet 
allowed  to  be  proclaimed  without  having  been  obliged  by 
the  fortune  of  war.  He  had  done  it  entirely  of  his  own  free 
will. 

The  declaration  was  as  bold  as  it  was  magnanimous. 
What  would  be  its  consequences  no  one  could  foresee. 
Evidently  it  would  not  make  Burbank's  position  less 
hazardous  in  this  slave-holding  country.  It  might, 
perhaps,  provoke  some  desire  of  revolt  among  the  slaves 
on  other  plantations.  That  did  not  matter  !  His  friends, 
excited  by  the  grandeur  of  the  action,  fully  approved  of 
what  Burbank  had  done. 

"James."  said  Mrs,  Burbank,  "  whatever  may  happen, 
you  did  quite  right  to  reply  in  that  way  to  Texar's  odious 
insinuations." 

"  We  are  proud  of  you,  father  !  "  said  Alice,  giving  Mr. 
Burbank  the  name  for  the  first  time. 


THE   LAST   SLAVE.  8l 

"And  so,  my  dear  girl,"  said  James  Burbank,  "when 
Gilbert  and  his  Federals  enter  Florida  they  will  not  find 
a  single  slave  at  Camdless  Bay." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Burbank,"  said  Zermah.  "  I  thank 
you  for  my  companions  and  myself.  As  far  as  I  am 
concerned  I  never  felt  I  was  a  slave.  Your  kindness  and 
generosity  have  always  made  me  seem  like  as  free  as  I  am 
to-day." 

"  Quite  so,  Zermah,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank.  "  Slave  or  free, 
we  shall  love  you  none  the  less." 

Zermah  vainly  tried  to  hide  her  emotion.  She  took 
Dy  in  her  arms  and  clasped  her  to  her  bosom. 

Carrol  and  Stannard  cordially  shook  hands  with  Bur- 
bank to  show  how  they  applauded  his  deed  of  daring — 
and  justice. 

Evidently  the  Burbank  family  in  their  generous  en- 
thusiasm forgot  all  about  the  complications  to  which  the 
act  might  give  rise. 

No  one  at  Camdless  Bay  would  think  of  blaming  James 
Burbank,  unless  perhaps  Mr.  Perry,  the  overseer,  when  he 
heard  what  had  taken  place.  But  he  was  away  on  duty 
and  would  not  be  back  till  late  at  night. 

When  the  family  gathering  broke  up,  Mr.  Burbank  told 
them  that  next  morning  he  would  give  the  slaves  theii* 
liberty. 

"  We  will  be  with  you,  James,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank, 
"  when  you  tell  them  they  are  free." 

**  Yes,  so  will  all  of  us,"  said  Carrol. 

"  And  me,  too  ! "  said  little  Dy. 

"  Yes,  my  dear  ;  you  too." 

"  Zermah,"  said  the  little  girl,  "  are  you  going  to  leave  us 
now  ? " 

"  No,  my  child  ! "  said  Zermah,  "  No,  I  will  never  leave 
you!" 

In  the  morning,  the  first  person  Mr.  Burbank  met  in  the 
private  garden  was  Perry  the  overseer.  As  the  secret  had 
been  kept,  he  had  heard  nothing  about  it.  He  soon  heard 
it  from  the  lips  of  his  master — much  to  his  amazement. 

"  Oh ,  Mr.  James  !  oh,  Mr.  James  ! " 

PART  I. 


87  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

The  worthy  man  was  quite  astounded,  and  other  werds 
failed  him. 

"  But  that  ought  not  to  surprise  you,  Perry,"  said  Burbank. 
"  I  am  only  anticipating  matters.  You  know  that  the 
enfranchisement  of  the  blacks  is  an  act  imposed  on  every 
State  that  is  careful  of  its  dignity." 

"  Its  dignity,  Mr.  James  !  What  sort  of  a  thing  is  this 
dignity  ?  " 

"  You  do  not  understand  the  word  '  dignity,'  Perry  ? 
Well,  careful  of  its  interests." 

"  Its  interests — its  interests,  Mr.  James  !  You  .say  careful 
of  its  interests  !  " 

"Certainly,  and  the  future  will  show  you  I  am  right." 

"  But  where  are  we  to  get  the  labour  for  the  plantation, 
Mr.  Burbank?" 

"Amongst  the  blacks,  Perry." 

"  But  if  the  blacks  are  free  not  to  work  they  will  not 
work." 

"They  will  work;  and,  what  is  more,  work  with  more 
teal  and  more  pleasure,  for  their  condition  will  be  better." 

"  But  your  blacks,  Mr.  James  !  Your  blacks  will  begin 
by  leaving  you." 

"  I  shall  be  much  astonished  if  a  single  one  does  any- 
thing of  the  sort." 

"  But  I  am  no  longer  overseer  of  the  slaves  at  Camdless 
Bay." 

"  No,  but  you  are  overseer  at  Camdless  Bay  ;  and  I  do 
not  suppose  your  position  will  be  any  the  worse  for  com- 
manding free  men  instead  of  slaves." 

"But—" 

"  My  dear  Perry,  I  warn  you  that  I  have  an  answer  for 
all  your  buts.  Look  after  what  you  have  to  do  regarding 
a  measure  which  you  cannot  prevent,  and  of  which  all  my 
family  approve." 

"  And  do  the  blacks  know  nothing  about  it  ?  " 

"Not  yet,"  said  Burbank;  "and  do  not  say  anything 
about  it  to  them.  They  shall  be  told  it  to-day.  You  can 
assemble  them  in  the  park  at  three  o'clock  this  afternoon, 
and  tell  them  I  have  a  communication  to  make  to  them." 


THE  LAST   SLAVE.  83 

Then  the  overseer  retired  with  many  a  gesture  of 
astonishment. 

•'  Blacks  who  are  not  slaves  !  Blacks  who  will  work 
for  themselves  !  Blacks  who  will  have  to  look  after  their 
own  wants  !  It  is  a  regular  capsize  of  the  social  order !  It 
is  the  upsetting  of  all  human  law  !  It  is  against  nature — 
yes,  against  nature  !  " 

During  the  morning  Burbank,  Stannard,  and  Carrol  went 
out  in  the  break  to  visit  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
plantation.  The  slaves  were  busy  at  their  usual  work  in  the 
fields  of  rice  and  coffee- shrubs  and  sugar-canes.  There  was 
the  same  bustle  going  on  in  the  workshops  and  saw-mills. 
The  secret  i.ad  been  well  kept.  No  communication  had 
been  established  between  Jacksonville  and  Camdless  Bay. 
These  who  were  so  directly  interested  knew  nothing  of 
James  Burbank's  project. 

In  driving  along  the  boundary  of  the  estate  Burbank 
and  his  friends  wished  to  assure  themselves  that  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  plantation  presented  nothing  suspicious. 
After  yesterday's  declaration,  it  was  to  be  feared  that  some 
of  the  Jacksonville  mob  or  the  people  of  the  country  round 
might  find  their  way  to  Camdless  Bay.  But  nothing  of 
the  sort  was  to  be  seen.  No  prowlers  were  noticed  even 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  or  along  the  St.  John's.  The 
Shannon,  which  passed  at  ten  o'clock,  did  not  stop  at  the 
pier,  but  continued  her  voyage  to  Picolata.  Neither  up 
stream  nor  down  stream  was  there  anything  to  alarm  the 
inhabitants  of  Castle  House. 

A  little  before  noon  Burbank,  Stannard,  and  Carrol  re- 
passed the  bridge  into  the  enclosure  and  entered  the  house. 
The  family  were  waiting  for  lunch.  They  seemed  less 
anxious,  and  talked  more  at  their  ease.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  course  of  events  had  paused  for  a  while.  Pro- 
bably the  energy  of  the  Jacksonville  magistrates  had  put  a 
check  on  the  violent  spirits  of  Texar's  party.  If  that  state 
ol  things  continued  for  a  day  or  so,  Florida  would  be  occu- 
pied by  the  Federal  arm}^  and  anti-slavery  men,  whether 
Northerners  or  Southerners,  would  be  in  safety. 

James  Burbank  could  thus  proceed  to  the  ceremony  01 
6 


84  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

emancipation — the  first  action  of  the  kind  that  had  ever 
voluntarily  taken  place  in  a  slave  State. 

Of  all  the  blacks  on  the  plantation,  the  one  who  would 
be  most  gratified  was  evidently  a  fellow  of  about  twenty, 
whose  name  was  Pygmalion,  or  Tyg,  as  he  was  more  com- 
monly called.  He  looked  after  the  servants'  quarters  at 
Castle  House,  and  so  lived  there.  He  did  not  work  in  the 
fields,  nor  in  the  factories,  nor  in  the  shops.  Truth  to  tc!I, 
Pygmalion  was  a  ridiculous,  vain,  idle  fellow,  wliose  faults 
his  master  very  kindly  overlooked.  Since  the  slave  ques- 
tion had  come  up,  he  had  been  heard  to  declaim  in  sounding 
phrases  about  human  liberty.  On  all  occasions  he  in- 
dulged in  pretentious  speeches  to  his  fellow  negroes, 
and  was  generally  laughed  down.  As  they  said,  he  tried 
to  ride  the  great  horse  when  even  a  donkey  would  have 
thrown  him.  Many  discussions  had  he  had  with  Mr.  Perry 
when  the  overseer  was  in  a  humour  to  listen  to  him  ;  and 
we  can  imagine  the  enthusiasm  with  which  he  would  wel- 
come an  act  of  enfranchisement  that  gave  him  the  dignity 
of  manhood. 

The  negroes  had  been  told  to  assemble  in  the  private 
park  in  front  of  Castle  House,  as  an  important  communi- 
cation was  to  be  made  to  them  by  the  planter. 

A  little  before  three  o'clock— the  time  fixed  for  the 
meeting — the  slaves  began  to  assemble.  They  had  not  gone 
to  work  after  the  midday  meal  ;  and  had  tidied  themselves 
up  and  changed  their  working  clothes  as  was  usual  with 
them  when  admitted  within  the  palisades.  At  the  barra- 
coons  there  had  been  great  excitement,  and  the  overseer 
had  walked  from  one  to  the  other  growling  to  himself, — 

"  When  I  think  that  at  this  moment  we  can  buy  and 
sell  these  fellows  as  if  they  were  merchandise,  and  in 
another  hour  we  shall  be  able  to  do  nothing  of  the  sort ! 
Yes  !  I  will  say  so  to  the  last !  Mr.  Burbank,  you  can 
do  what  you  like  and  say  what  you  like,  and  so  can 
President  Lincoln,  and  so  can  all  the  Federals  of  the 
North,  and  all  the  Liberals  of  the  world  !  " 

And  here  Pygmalion,  who  knew  nothing  as  yet,  found 
(limself  face  to  face  with  the  overseer. 


THE  LAST  SLAVB.  85 

"  Why  are  we  to  be  called  together,  please,  Mr.  1  ctry  ?  " 
asked  he.     "  Do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Yes,  idiot !     It  is  to—" 

The  overseer  stopped,  not  wishing  to  betray  the  secret. 
An  idea  occurred  to  him. 

"  Come  here,  Pyg,"  he  said. 

Pygmalion  approached. 

"  Have  I  ever  pulled  your  ear  for  you,  my  boy  }  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Perry,  for  contrary  to  all  justice — human  or 
divine — you  have  a  right  to  do  so." 

"Well,  as  it  is  my  right  I  am  going  to  use  it  once  more!" 

And  without  heeding  the  cries  of  Pyg,  but  without  doing 
him  any  serious  hurt,  he  pulled  the  ears  which  were  already 
of  tolerable  length.  And  much  did  it  relieve  the  overseer 
to  take  advantage  of  his  right  for  the  last  time. 

At  three  o'clock  James  Burbank  and  his  people  appeared 
on  the  terrace  at  Castle  House.  Before  them  stood  seven 
hundred  slaves,  men,  women,  and  children,  among  them  a 
score  of  old  negroes,  who,  when  they  were  past  work, 
found  a  comfortable  retreat  for  old  age  in  the  Camdless 
Bay  barracoons. 

Deep  silence  fell  on  all.  At  a  gesture  from  Mr.  Bur- 
bank  the  overseer  made  the  negroes  form  up  closer,  so 
that  they  could  distinctly  hear  what  was  said  to  them. 

"  My  friends,"  said  James  Burbank,  "  you  know  that  a 
civil  war  has  been  raging  for  a  long  time  in  the  United 
States.  The  real  cause  of  that  war  is  the  question  of 
slavery.  The  South  is  only  fighting  for  slavery,  in  which 
it  thinks  its  interests  are  bound  up  and  which  it  wishes  to 
maintain.  The  North,  in  the  name  of  humanity,  desires  to 
put  an  end  to  it  in  America.  God  has  helped  the  defen- 
ders of  a  righteous  cause,  and  victory  has  already  more 
than  once  declared  for  those  who  are  fighting  for  the 
freedom  of  a  race.  For  some  time,  as  everybody  knows, 
I  have  shared  in  the  opinions  of  the  North  without  being 
able  to  put  them  in  practice.  But  now,  certain  things 
have  happened,  and  I  can  lose  no  time  in  acting  up  to  my 
ideas.  Listen,  then,  to  what  I  have  to  tell  you  in  the  name 
of  all  my  family." 


S6  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

There  was  a  subdued  murmur  of  emotion  in  the  crowd, 
but  it  died  away  almost  instantly,  and  then  James  Burbank, 
in  a  voice  that  could  be  heard  by  all,  made  the  following 
declaration  : — 

"From  this  28th  of  February,  1862,  henceforth  the 
slaves  on  this  plantation  are  free.  They  can  leave  here  or 
stay  here  as  they  please.  There  are  now  none  but  free 
men  at  Camdless  Bay." 

The  first  greeting  from  those  who  had  thus  ceased  to  be 
slaves  was  a  loud  cheering.  Arms  were  lifted  in  sign  of 
thankfulness.  The  name  of  Burbank  was  shouted  again 
and  again.  The  crowd  rushed  to  the  terrace.  Men, 
women,  and  children  wished  to  kiss  the  hands  of  their 
liberator.  The  enthu-iasm  was  indescribable,  and  it  was 
all  the  more  vigorous  from  being  unprepared.  As  to 
Pygmalion  we  can  imagine  how  he  gesticulated  and 
perorated  and  attitudinized. 

Then  an  old  negro,  the  oldest  on  the  plantation,  ad- 
vanced to  the  steps  of  the  terrace.  Then  he  lifted  his 
head,  and,  speaking  with  much  emotion  said, — 

"  In  the  name  of  the  old  slaves  of  Camdless  Bay,  who 
are  now  free,  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Burbank,  for  having  let  us 
hear  the  first  words  of  freedom  ever  spoken  in  the  State  of 
Florida." 

As  he  spoke  the  old  negro  slowly  mounted  the  steps, 
and  kissed  James  Burbank's  hands  ;  and  then,  as  little  Dy 
stretched  out  her  arms  to  him,  he  lifted  her  up  and  held 
her  out  to  his  comrades. 

"  Hurray  !  Hurray  for  Mr.  Burbank  !  " 

The  joyous  shouts  again  rent  the  air,  loud  enough  to 
carry  to  Jacksonville,  on  the  other  bank  of  the  St.  John's, 
the  news  of  the  great  deed  that  bad  been  done. 

The  family  were  deeply  moved.  In  vain  did  they  try 
to  quiet  these  shouts  of  enthusiasm.  It  was  Zermah  who 
succeeded  in  procuring  silence  as  she  advanced  to  the 
edge  of  the  terrace  to  speak. 

"  My  friends,"  said  she,  "  v/e  are  now  free  ;  thanks  to  the 
generosity,  to  the  humanity  of  him  who  was  our  master, 
the  best  of  masters  !  " 


THE  LAST  SLAVE.  g; 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  "  shouted  hundreds  of  voices  in  one  great 
shout  of  gratitude. 

"  We  can  now  go  where  we  please.  We  can,  if  we  like, 
avail  ourselves  of  our  liberty  to  leave  the  plantation.  As 
for  me  I  will  follow  the  instinct  of  my  heart  ;  and  I  am 
sure  that  most  of  you  will  do  as  I  do.  For  six  years  I 
have  lived  at  Camdless  Bay.  My  husband  and  I  have 
lived  here  and  we  wish  to  die  here.  I  ask  Mr.  Burbank  to 
keep  us  now  we  are  free  as  he  kept  us  when  we  were 
slaves.     Those  who  wish  him  to  do  so — " 

"All!  all!" 

And  the  words  repeated  a  thousand  times  showed  how 
much  the  master  of  Camdless  Bay  was  appreciated,  and 
proved  the  bond  of  friendship  and  gratitude  that  united 
all  on  the  estate. 

James  Burbank  then  spoke.  He  told  all  those  who 
wished  to  remain  on  the  plantation  that  they  might  do 
so  under  new  conditions  ;  all  that  was  to  be  done  was  to 
agree  what  price  should  be  paid  for  their  labour.  It  was 
necessary  that  the  matter  should  be  iinished  in  due  form, 
and  consequently  each  of  the  negroes  would  now  receive 
a  certificate  of  liberation. 

To  issue  these  was  the  duty  of  the  assistant  overseers. 
Ever  since  Mr.  Burbank  had  decided  to  free  his  slaves  he 
had  had  these  papers  prepared,  and  as  negro  after  negro 
came  up  to  receive  them,  most  affecting  were  the  demon- 
strations of  gratitude. 

The  end  of  the  day  was  devoted  to  rejoicing.  In  the 
morning  the  blacks  would  return  to  their  "ordinary  work, 
but  to-day  must  be  given  over  to  festivity.  The  Burbanks, 
as  they  walked  among  the  crowd,  were  greeted  with  tokens 
of  the  sincerest  friendship  and  assurances  of  boundless 
devotion. 

But  among  the  crowd  overseer  Perry  moved  like  a  lost 
soul. 

"  Well,  Perry/'  asked  Mr.  Burbank,  "  what  say  you  ?  " 

"  I  say,  Mr.  James,  that  although  they  are  free,  these 
Africans  are  none  the  less  Africans  and  have  not  changed 
their  colour.   They  were  born  black  and  they  will  die  black," 


88  HORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"  But  they  will  live  white,"  said  Burbank  with  a  smile, 
"and  that  is  everything  !  " 

That  evening  the  dinner  at  Castle  House  was  a  happy 
one  ;  and  more  confidence  was  felt  as  to  the  future.  In  a 
few  days  the  security  of  Florida  would  be  completely 
assured  No  bad  news  had  come  from  Jacksonville.  It 
was  possible  that  James  Burbank's  conduct  before  the 
magistrates  had  had  a  favourable  impression  on  the 
majority  of  the  inhabitants. 

One  of  the  company  at  dinner  was  Mr.  Overseer  Perry, 
who  had  been  obliged  to  help  in  what  he  could  not  hinder. 
He  sat  down  opposite  the  old  negro  who  had  been  invited 
by  Mr.  Burbank,  in  order  to  show  that  the  freedom  given 
him  was  not  an  empty  declaration.  Outside  were  heard 
the  sounds  of  the  holiday-making  ;  and  the  park  was 
illuminated  by  the  reflection  of  the  bonfires  lighted  in 
different  parts  of  the  plantation.  In  the  middle  of  dinner 
a  deputation  arrived  with  a  magnificent  bouquet  for  the 
little  girl,  the  finest,  certainly,  that  "  Miss  Dy  Burbank  of 
Castle  House  "  had  ever  received. 

When  all  had  gone,  the  family  went  back  into  the  hall, 
to  stay  there  till  bedtime.  It  seemed  as  if  a  day  so  well 
begun  could  not  but  end  as  well.  About  eight  o'clock  the 
plantation  was  quiet.  It  seemed  as  though  nothing  would 
occur  to  trouble  it,  when  a  voice  was  heard  without. 

James  Burbank  rose  and  went  to  the  front  door. 

In  front  of  the  terrace  a  few  men  were  standing  and 
talking  in  a  loud  tone. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  Mr.  Burbank,"  said  one  of  the  overseers,  "  a  boat  has 
just  run  alongside  the  pier." 

"Where  from?" 

"  The  left  bank." 

"  Who  is  on  board  ?  " 

"  A  messenger  sent  to  you  from  the  Jacksonville  magis- 
trates." 

*'  And  what  does  he  want }  " 

"  He  has  a  letter  for  you.     Shall  I  let  him  land  ?" 

"Yes." 


THE  LAST  SLAVE.  89 

Mrs.  Burbank  came  to  her  husband's  side,  Ahce  stepped 
p  to  one  of  the  windows,  while  Stannard  and  Carrol  walked 
3  the  door.  Zermah,  taking  little  Dy  by  the  hand,  stood 
p.     All  felt  that  some  serious  incident  was  at  band. 

The  overseer  went  back  to  the  landing-place.  Ten 
linutes  aftervvards  he  returned  with  the  messenger  whom 
he  boat  had  brought  from  Jacksonville. 

He  was  in  the  uniform  of  the  County  Militia.  He  was 
itroduced  into  tb.e  hall^  and  asked  for  Mr.  Burbank. 

"  I  am  James  Burbank.     What  is  your  business  ?" 

"  To  hand  you  this  letter." 

The  messenger  held  out  a  large  envelope  which  bore  the 
eal  of  the  court. 

Burbank  broke  the  seal,  and  read, — 

"  By  order  of  the  authorities  newly  constituted  at  Jack- 
onville,  every  slave  set  free  without  the  permission  of  the 
Confederate  Government  will  be  immediately  expelled  the 
eriitory. 

"  The  expulsion  to  take  place  within  the  following  forty- 
ight  hours  ;  and,  in  case  of  refusal,  force  will  be  used. 

"  Texar. 

"Done  at  Jacksonville,  28th  February,  1862." 

The  magistrates  had  been  superseded.  Texar  had  been 
ilaced  by  his  partisans  in  charge  of  the  town. 

"  What  answer  shall  I  take  back  ?  "  asked  the  messenger. 

"  None  !  "  said  James  Burbank. 

The  messenger  retired,  and  was  escorted  back  to  the 
>oat,  which  put  off  towards  the  other  side  of  the  stream. 

And  so,  at  the  Spaniard's  orders,  the  old  slaves  of  the 
lantation  were  to  be  dispersed  !  Although  they  were  free 
nen,  they  were  no  longer  free  to  live  in  Florida  !  Camdless 
Bay  was  to  be  deprived  of  all  the  men  on  whom  he  had 
eckoned  to  defend  the  plantation. 

Free  on  those  conditions  ^ "  said  Zermah.  "  Never  !  I 
efuse  such  freedom  !  And  if  I  cannot  remain  near  you  I 
vould  rather  be  a  slave." 

And,  taking  her  certificate  of  freedom  in  her  hands, 
l^ermah  tore  it  across,  and  fell  at  James  Burbank's  feet. 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WAITING. 

Such  were  the  first  conseque  ces  of  the  generous  action  of 
freeing  his  slaves  before  the  Federals  were  masters  of  the 
ti  rritory, 

Texar  and  his  partisans  were  now  in  power,  and  could 
indulge  in  any  deed  of  violence  that  their  brutal  natures 
suggested.  By  his  vague  denunciations  the  Spaniard  had 
not  been  able  to  put  James  Rurbank  in  prison,  but  he  had 
gained  his  end  none  the -less  by  taking  advantage  of  the 
excitement  of  the  people  at  the  conduct  of  the  magistrates. 
After  the  acquittal  of  the  anti-slavery  planter,  who  was 
going  to  proclaim  emancipation  on  the  estate,  Texar  had 
raised  a  crowd  of  malcontents  and  headed  a  revolution  in 
the  town.  He  had  superseded  the  old  magistrates  by  the 
most  advanced  members  of  his  party,  formed  a  committee 
of  small  whites  and  Floridans  of  Spanish  origin,  and  assured 
himself  of  the  co-operation  of  the  militia,  with  whom  he 
had  been  in  treaty  for  a  long  time,  and  who  at  once  frater- 
nized with  the  people.  The  fate  of  every  person  in  the 
county  was  now  in  his  hands. 

James  Burbank's  conduct  had  not  been  approved  by  the 
majority  of  the  planters  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  John's, 
who  feared  that  their  own  slaves  would  compel  them  to 
follow  his  example.  Most  of  them  being  ardent  Southerners, 
pledged  to  withstand  the  pretensions  of  the  Unionists,  saw 
with  extreme  irritation  the  advance  of  the  Federal  armies, 
and  declai-ed  that  Florida  should  resist  them  as  the  other 
Southern  States  were  resisting  them.  At  the  outset  of  the 
war  they  had  treated  the  question  of  enfranchisement  with 
indifference,  but  they  had  hastened  to  range  themselves 


WAITING.  9T 

under  the  flag  of  Jefferson  Davis,  and  to  do  their  utmost  to 
second  the  efforts  of  the  rebels  against  the  Government  of 
Abraham  Lincoln. 

Under  such  circumstances  there  was  little  wonder  that 
Texar,  having  the  same  opinions  and  interests  to  defend, 
should  have  succeeded  as  he  had  done,  notwithstanding 
his  evil  reputation.  He  had  seized  his  post,  however,  not 
so  much  to  organize  resistance  and  repulse  Commodore 
Dupont's  flotilla  as  to  gratify  his  evil  instincts  ;  and  that  is 
why,  on  account  of  the  hatred  he  bore  towards  the  Burbank 
family,  his  first  care  had  been  to  reply  to  the  liberation  at 
Camdless  Bay  by  the  edict  which  obliged  the  slaves  who 
had  been  freed  to  leave  the  territory  in  forty-eight  hours. 

"  In  acting  thus,"  he  said,  "  I  protect  the  interests  of  the 
planters.  They  cannot  but  approve  of  a  measure  which 
will  prevent  the  rising  of  the  slaves  in  Florida." 

The  majority  had  thus  applauded  without  reservation 
this  order  of  Texar's,  arbitrary  though  it  was.  It  was 
arbitrary,  unique,  and  indefensible.  In  freeing  his  slaves, 
James  Burbank  was  only  acting  within  his  right  which  he 
had  always  possessed.  He  could  have  done  it  before  the 
war  had  divided  the  United  States  on  the  question  of  slavery. 
Nothing  had  occurred  to  supersede  this  right,  and  Texar's 
action  was  neither  just  nor  legal. 

But  Camdless  Bay  would  be  deprived  of  its  natural 
defenders,  and  Texar's  object  would  be  attained. 

This  was  well  understood  at  Castle  House  ;  and  it  would 
perhaps  have  been  better  if  James  Burbank  had  waited  till 
he  could  act  without  danger.  But,  as  we  know,  he  had 
been  charged  before  the  Jacksonville  magistrates  with 
acting  contrary  to  his  opinions,  and  so  placed  that  he  must 
conform  to  them  ;  and,  incapable  of  mastering  his  indigna- 
tion, he  had  declared  himself  publicly,  and  had  publicly 
proceeded  before  the  people  of  his  plantation  to  give  his 
slaves  their  freedom.  By  doing  so  he  had  injured  his  own 
position  and  that  of  his  guests,  and  now  it  must  be  decided 
in  all  haste  what  was  to  be  done. 

In  the  first  place — and  this  very  evening  the  discussion 
was  entered  upon- -could   they  go  back    on  this    act  of 


92  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

emancipation  ?  No.  That  would  make  no  difference  ir. 
the  state  of  affairs.  Texar  would  not  recognize  such  s 
tardy  going  back.  Besides,  the  negroes,  when  they  learnt 
what  the  Jacksonville  authorities  had  decided  to  do,  woulrl 
unanimously  imitate  Zermah's  example.  Rather  than 
leave  Camdless  B;^.y  and  be  hunted  from  the  State,  they 
would  return  to  ^^heir  condition  as  slaves  until  the  time 
when  they  would  have  the  right  to  be  free  and  live  freely 
where  they  pleased. 

But  what  would  be  the  good  of  this  ?  They  would, 
under  their  old  master,  defend  the  plantation  which  had 
become  their  home,  and  with  all  the  more  ardour  now  they 
had  been  freed.  This  Zermah  guaranteed.  James  Burbank 
therefore  decided  that  he  '•  ould  not  recall  what  he  had 
done.     All  the  rest  were  of  his  opinion. 

And  they  were  not  mistaken.  In  the  morning,  when 
the  new  decree  of  the  Jacksonville  Committee  was  known, 
marks  of  devotion  and  tokens  of  fidelity  came  in  from  all 
sides.  If  Texar  attempted  to  put  his  edict  in  force  they 
would  resist  it.  If  he  used  force,  they  would  use  force  to 
repel  him. 

"  And,  besides,"  said  Carrol,  "events  are  hurrying  on.  In 
a  couple  of  days,  in  twenty-four  hours  perhaps,  the  slave 
question  in  Florida  will  be  settled.  To-morrow  the  Federal 
flotilla  may  force  the  mouths  of  the  St.  John's,  and  then —  " 

"  And  if  the  militia,  aided  by  the  Confederate  troops, 
make  any  resistance  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Stannard. 

"  If  they  resist,  their  resistance  will  not  last  long,"  said 
Carrol.  "Without  ships  or  gunners,  how  can  they  oppose 
the  passage  ot  Commodore  Dupont.the  landing  of  Sherman, 
the  occupation  of  the  ports  of  Fernanuina,  Jacksonville,  and 
St.  Augusiine .?  When  these  points  are  occupied,  the 
Federals  will  be  masters  of  Florida.  Then  Texar  and  his 
Iriends  will  have  to  run." 

"  If  they  could  only  catch  him/'  said  James  Burbank, 
"then  we  should  see  if,  when  he  is  in  the  hands  of  Federal 
justice,  he  could  substantiate  some  alibi  to  escape  the 
punishment  he  deserves." 

The  night  passed  without  the  security  of  Castle  House 


WATTTNd.  9S 

being  disturbed.  In  the  morning  the  rumours  that  were 
flying  about  were  inquired  into.  The  plantation  was  not 
threatened  that  day.  Texar's  decree  had  ordered  the 
expulsion  of  the  blacks  in  forty-eight  hours.  James  Bur- 
bank  had  determined  to  resist  the  order,  and  occupied  the 
time  in  preparing  for  the  defence  of  his  house. 

It  was,  however,  important  to  get  at  all  the  reports  from 
the  theatre  of  war.  Any  moment  the  state  of  affairs  might 
be  changed  ;  and  James  Burbank  and  his  brother-in-law 
set  off  on  horseback  to  learn  what  they  could.  Descending 
the  right  bank  of  the  St.  John's,  they  rode  towards  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  so  as  to  explore  for  a  dozen  miles  the 
widening  of  the  river,  which  ends  at  San  Pablo,  where  the 
lighthouse  stands.  As  they  passed  Jacksonville  they 
would  be  able  to  see  if  there  was  any  gathering  of  boats 
indicating  an  approaching  attack  on  Camdless  Bay.  In 
half  an  hour  they  had  passed  the  boundary  of  the  plan- 
tation. 

Meanwhile  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  were  walking  in  the 
park  of  Castle  House.  In  vain  Mr.  Stannard  tried  to  calm 
their  apprehensions.  They  both  had  a  presentiment  of  a 
coming  catastrophe. 

Zermah  had  been  among  the  barracoons.  Although  the 
threat  of  expulsion  was  known,  the  blacks  heeded  it  not. 
They  had  returned  to  their  usual  work.  Like  their  old 
master,  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to  resist  If  they 
were  free,  by  what  right  were  they  to  be  expelled  from  the 
country  of  their  adoption  ?,  Nothing  could  be  more  satis- 
factory than  Zermah's  report — the  blacks  of  Camdless  Bay 
could  be  trusted. 

"Yes,"  said  she,  "my  companions  will  all  return  to 
slavery,  as  I  have  done,  rather  than  leave  their  master ! 
And  if  they  are  obliged,  they  will  defend  their  rights." 

Nothing  more  was  to  be  done  than  to  wait  for  the  return 
of  Janies  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol. 

At  this  date,  the  ist  of  March,  it  was  not  impossible 
that  the  Federal  flotilla  had  arrived  in  sight  of  Pablo  light- 
house, ready  to  occupy  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's.  The 
Confederates  had  not  too  many  militia   to   oppose  their 


04  NORTH    XSD    SOUTH. 

passage,  and  the  authorities  of  Jacksonville  would  have 
none  to  spare  to  carry  out  their  threats  against  the  former 
slaves  of  Camdless  Bay. 

Mr.  Perry  made  his  daily  visit  to  the  different  workshops 
and  storehouses  on  the  estate.  He  also  could  bear  witness 
to  the  go  jd  disposition  of  the  negroes.  Although  he  did 
not  care  to  admit  it,  he  saw  that  if  they  had  changed  their 
condition,  their  assiduity  at  their  work  and  devotion  to  the 
Burbank  family  had  not  changed.  To  resist  all  that  the 
Jacksonville  populace  attempted  against  them  they  were 
firmly  resolved.  But,  in  Mr.  Perry's  opinion,  these  fine 
feelings  would  not  last.  Nature  would  reclaim  her  rights. 
After  tasting  independence,  these  enfranchised  negroes 
would  return  to  slaverj^  and  descend  to  the  place  that 
Nature  intended  for  them,  between  the  man  and  the  animal. 

As  he  was  thinking  of  these  things,  who  should  he  run 
against  but  the  conceited  Pygmalion,  strutting  like  a  pea- 
cock with  his  head  on  high,  his  hands  behind  his  back,  and 
evidently  thinking  very  much  of  himself  as  a  free  man. 
One  thing  was  certain,  and  that  was  that  he  was  not  doing 
much  work. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Perry  ! "  said  he  superbly. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Mr.  Idle  ?  " 

"  I  am  taking  a  walk  !  Have  I  not  the  right  to  do 
nothing  now  I  am  no  longer  a  vile  slave,  and  have  the 
certiiicate  of  liberation  in  my  pocket?" 

"  And  who  is  to  feed  you,  Pyg  ?  " 

"  I  am,  Mr.  Perry." 

"  And  how  ?  " 

"  By  eating." 

"And  who  is  to  give  you  what  you  eat ?" 

"  My  master." 

"  Your  master !  Have  you  forgotten  that  now  you  have 
no  master,  noodle  ?  " 

"  No.  I  had  one,  and  I  shall  have  one  ;  and  Mr.  Burbank 
will  not  send  me  away  from  the  plantation,  where,  I  can  say 
without  boasting,  I  am  of  some  use." 

"  But  he  will  send  you  away  ? " 

"Will  he.?" 


WAITING.  95 

"  Certainly.  When  you  belonged  to  him  he  could  keep 
you  to  do  nothing.  But  now  you  do  not  belong  to  him  he 
will  show  you  the  door  if  you  do  not  work,  and  we  shall 
see  what  you  will  do  with  your  liberty,  poor  lunatic  !" 

Evidently  Pyg  had  not  studied  the  question  from  that 
point  of  view. 

"  VViiat,  Mr.  Perry  ?  Do  you  think  Mr.  Pu: bank  would 
be  so  cruel — " 

"  It  is  not  cruel  ;  it  is  only  logical.  Besides,  whether  Mr. 
James  wishes  it  or  no,  there  is,  a  decree  of  the  Committee 
at  Jacksonville  ordering  every  freed  slave  out  of  Florida." 

"  Then  that  is  true,  tiien  ?  " 

"  Quite  true  ;  and  we  shall  now  see  how  you  and  your 
companions  will  get  out  of  the  difficulty  now  you  have  lost 
your  master." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  leave  Camdless  Bay  even  if  I  am 
free." 

"  You  are  free  to  go,  but  not  free  to  stop  !  You  had 
better  pack  up." 

"  And  what's  to  become  of  me  ? " 

"  That  is  your  business." 

"  But  if  I  am  free,"  said  Pygmalion,  returning  again  to 
that  point,  "  If  I  am  free — " 

"  That  is  not  enough,  it  seems  !  " 

"  Tell  me  what  I  ought  to  do,  Mr.  Perry." 

"  What  you  ought  to  do  ?  Well ;  listen,  and  follow  me, 
if  you  can." 

"  I  follow." 

"  You  are  free,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  got  the  certificate  in  my  pocket* 

"  Well ;  tear  it  up." 

"  Never." 

"  Then  there  is  only  one  way  I  can  see  for  you  to  stop 
here."  / 

"What  is  that.?" 

"  Change  your  colour,  Pyg  !  When  you  are  white  you 
can  live  at  Camdless  Bay  ;  till  then  you  cannot." 

The  overseer,  chuckling  at  having  given  Pyg's  vanity 
such  a  lesson,  turned  on  his  heel. 


g6  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

Pyg  remained  deep  in  thought.  He  saw  that  to  be  no 
longer  a  slave  was  not  enough  to  keep  him  his  place.  He 
must  be  white  ?  And  how  could  he  become  white,  when 
Nature  had  made  him  black  as  ebony?  And  as  he  re- 
turned to  Castle  House  he  scratched  his  head  as  if  he 
were  tearing  the  hair  from  the  skin. 

A  little  before  noon  James  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol 
returned  to  Castle  House.  They  had  seer^  nothing  alarming 
at  Jacksonville.  The  boats  were  in  their  usual  place, 
some  moored  to  the  pier,  others  anchored  out  in  the 
stream.  A  few  detachments  of  Confederates  had  been 
seen  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  marching  towards  the 
north  towards  Nassau  county.  Nothing  seemed  to  threaten 
Camdless  Bay. 

When  they  reached  the  end  of  the  estuary,  Burbank  and 
his  companion  had  looked  out  over  the  open  sea.  There 
was  not  a  sail  in  sight.  Not  a  cloud  of  smoke  from  some 
steamer  could  be  traced  on  the  horizon  to  indicate  the 
presence  or  approach  of  a  squadron.  Preparations  for 
defence  there  were  none.  There  were  no  batteries,  no 
earthworks.  If  the  Federal  ships  appeared  either  at 
Nassau  Creek  or  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's,  there  was 
nothing  to  stop  them.  Only  Pablo  lighthouse  was  dis- 
mantled ;  the  lantern  was  unshipped  ;  and  the  passes  were 
thus  unlighted.  But  that  would  only  prevent  the  entrance 
of  a  flotilla  during  the  night. 

Such  was  the  report  they  brought  back  with  them. 
There  seemed  to  be  nothing  doing  at  Jacksonville  to  indi- 
cate an  approaching  attack  on  Camdless  Bay. 

"  That  is  well,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "  but  it  is  unsatis- 
factory that  Dupont's  ships  are  not  yet  in  sight ;  there  is 
a  delay  there  that  I  cannot  understand  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Carrol  ;  "  if  the  fleet  sailed  the  day  before 
yesterday  from  St.  Andrew's  Bay,  it  ought  now  to  be  oflf 
Fernandina." 

"  It  has  been  very  bad  weather  during  these  last  two  or 
three  days,"  said  James  Burbank.  "  It  is  possible  that 
with  these  westerly  Vv'inds  Dupont  has  had  to  go  out  to  sea. 


WAITING,  (^? 

The  wind  went  down  this  morning,  and  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  this  very  night — " 

"  May  heaven  listen  to  you,  my  dear  James,"  said  Mrs. 
Burbank,  "  and  come  to  our  help." 

"  If  Pablo  lighthouse,"  said  Alice,  "is  not  lighted,  how 
could  the  flotilla  get  into  the  St.  John's  to-night  ? " 

"  It  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  get  into  the  St. 
John's,"  said  Burbank.  "But  before  attacking  the  mouths  of 
the  river  the  Federals  would  have  to  capture  Amelia  Island 
and  then  Fernandina,  so  as  to  command  the  railway  to 
Cedar  Keys.  I  do  not  expect  Dupont's  vessels  up  the  St. 
John's  for  three  or  four  days." 

"  That  is  so,  James,"  said  Carrol.  "  But  I  hope  the  cap- 
ture of  Fernandina  would  force  the  Confederates  to  retreat. 
The  militia  might  even  abandon  Jacksonville  before  the 
arrival  of  the  gunboats.  Then  Camdless  Bay  would  no 
longer  be  threatened  by  Texar  and  his  accomplices — " 

"That  is  possible,"  said  James  Burbank.  "Once  the 
Federals  set  foot  in  Florida,  our  safety  will  be,  to  a  certain 
extent,  secured.     Is  there  any  news  on  the  plantation  ?  " 

"  None,"  said  Alice.  "  I  heard  from  Zermah  that  the 
blacks  had  gone  to  work  as  usual,  and  that  they  are  ready 
to  fight  to  the  last  in  defence  of  Camdless  Bay." 

"  Let  us  hope  we  shall  not  have  to  put  their  devotion  to 
the  proof!  I  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  the  scoundrels' 
who  have  got  the  upper  hand  at  Jacksonville  take  them- 
selves off  as  soon  as  the  Federal  fleet  is  signalled.  But  we 
must  be  on  our  guard.  After  liinch,  Stannard,  come  with 
Carrol  and  me  over  to  the  most  exposed  part  of  the  estate. 
I  do  not  want  you  and  Alice  to  be  in  as  much  danger  here 
as  at  Jacksonville.  In  truth,  I  shall  never  forgive  myself 
for  bringing  you  here,  if  things  turn  out  badly." 

"My  dear  James,"  said  Stannard,  "if  we  had  stayed  in 
our  house  at  Jacksonville  we  should  have  been  exposed  to 
the  exactions  of  the  authorities,  like  all  the  rest  who  hold 
anti-slavery  opinions." 

"  In  any  case,  Mr.  Burbank,"  said  Alice,  "  even  if  the 
danger  is  greater  here,  is  it  not  better  for  us  to  share  it 
with  you  ? " 

PART  L  .  * 


98  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"Yes,  my  dear  girl,"  said  James  Burbank.  "Come  on  ! 
I  hope  and  think  that  Texar  will  not  have  time  to  put  his 
scheme  against  our  men  into  execution." 

During  the  afternoon  Burbank  and  his  friends  visited 
the  barracoons  with  Mr.  Perry.  They  could  see  for  them- 
selves that  the  feeling  among  the  blacks  was  excellent. 
Burbank  called  the  overseer's  attention  to  the  zeal  with 
which  the  newly  freed  negroes  had  returned  to  work.  Not 
one  was  absent  from  his  post. 

"  Yes,  yes  ! "  answered  Perry.  "  But  we  have  to  see  how 
the  work  will  turn  out  in  the  end." 

"  But  the}^  did  not  change  their  arms  when  they  changed 
their  condition,  did  they  .•'  " 

"  Not  yet ;  but  you  will  soon  see  that  they  have  not  the 
same  hands  at  the  end  of  the  arms." 

"Well,  Perry,"  replied  Burbank  gaily,  "their  hands  will 
always  have  five  fingers,  I  imagine  ;  and  we  cannot  expect 
them  to  have  more." 

As  soon  as  the  round  had  been  made,  Mr.  Burbank  and 
his  friends  returned  to  Castle  House.  The  evening  passed 
as  quietly  as  the  last.  In  the  absence  of  all  news  from 
Jacksonville  there  seemed  to  be  ground  for  hope  that 
Texar  had  given  up  his  threat,  or  that  he  had  no  time  to 
execute  it. 

Careful  precautions  were,  however,  taken  during  the 
night.  Perry  and  the  assistant  overseers  stationed  sentries 
round  the  estate,  and  particularly  watched  the  banks  of  the 
river.  The  blacks  had  been  cautioned  to  retreat  on  the 
palisades  in  case  of  an  alarm,  and  a  sentry  was  on  guard  at 
the  gate. 

Many  times  did  James  Burbank  and  his  friends  go  out 
to  see  that  their  orders  had  been  attended  to.  When  the 
sun  rose  nothing  had  happened.  The  night  had  passed 
without  incident 


THE  MORNING  OF  THE  2ND  OF  MARCH.      Qp 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  MORNING  OF  THE  2ND  OF  MARCH. 

Next  day,  March  2nd,  James  Burbank  had  news  by  one 
of  his  assistant  overseers,  who  had  crossed  the  river  and 
returned  to  Jacksonville  without  awaking  suspicion. 

The  news  was  undoubtedly  correct  and  it  was  im- 
portant. 

Commodore  Dupont  had  anchored  at  daybreak  in  St. 
Andrew's  Bay,  on  the  coast  of  Georgia.  The  Wabash,  on 
which  he  had  hoisted  his  flag,  was  at  the  head  of  a 
squadron  of  twenty-six  vessels,  of  which  eighteen  were 
gunboats,  one  a  cutter,  one  an  armed  transport,  and  six 
were  ordinary  transports  with  General  Wright's  brigade 
on  board.  And,  as  Gilbert  had  said  in  his  last  letter. 
General  Sherman  accompanied  the  expedition. 

Commodore  Dupont,  whom  the  bad  weather  had  kept 
back,  had  at  once  set  to  work  to  take  possession  of  the 
passes  of  the  St.  Mary's.  These  channels,  difficult  enou'.:;h 
of  access,  open  off  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same 
name  to  the  north  of  Amelia  Island  on  the  frontier  of 
Georgia  and  Florida. 

Fernandina,  the  principal  position  of  the  island,  was 
protected  by  Fort  Clinch  with  agarrison  of  fifteen  hundred 
men  behind  its  thick  stone  walls.  Would  the  Southerners 
hold  out  against  the  Federals  in  this  fortress,' wherein  they 
might  make  a  lengthened  defence  .?  It  would  be  thought 
so. 

Nothing  of  the  kind  was  done.  According  to  the 
assistant-overseer's  report,  a  rumour  had  reached  Jackson- 
ville that  the  Confederates  had  evacuated  Fert  Clinch  as 


Six)  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

soon  as  the  squadron  appeared  in  St.  Mary's  Bay  ;  and  not 
only  had  they  abandoned  Fort  Clinch,  but  they  had 
cleared  out  of  Fernandina,  Cumberland  Island,  and  all 
that  part  of  the  Florida  coast. 

This  was  all  the  news  that  reached  Castle  House,  but 
there  is  no  need  to  dwell  on  its  importance  with  regard  to 
the  position  at  Camdless  Kay.  Now  ti:at  the  Federals 
had  at  last  landed  in  Florida,  the  whole  State  would  scon 
be  in  their  power.  Obviously  a  few  days  would  elapse 
before  the  gunbuats  crosstui  the  bar  of  the  St.  John's.  But 
their  presence  would  have  its  effect  on  tlie  new  authorities 
of  Jack.sonville,  and  there  was  room  to  hope  that,  in  fear 
of  reprisals,  Texar  and  his  supporters  would  not  dare  to 
take  action  against  the  plantation  of  so  prominent  a 
Northerner  as  James  Burbank, 

This  was  reassuring  for  the  family,  whose  fear  was  sud- 
denly changed  to  hope.  And  Alice  Stannard  and  Mrs. 
Burbank  ceased  to  tremble  for  Gilbert's  safety,  with  the 
certainty  that  he  was  not  far  off  and  the  assurance  that 
he  would  soon  return.  The  young  lieutenant  at  St. 
Andrew's  was  within  thirty  miles  of  Camdless  Bay.  He 
was  on  board  the  gunboat  Ottawa^  which  had  just  been 
distinguished  by  a  feat  of  arms  unexampled  in  naval 
annals. 

What  had  happened  on  the  morning  of  the  2nd  of 
March  was  this.  The  assistant-overseer  had  not  ascer- 
tained these  details  during  his  visit  to  Jacksonville,  but  it 
is  important  that  they  should  be  known  on  account  of  the 
events  that  follou-ed. 

As  soon  as  Commodore  Dupont.  discovered  that  Fort 
Clinch  had  been  evacuated  by  the  Confederate  garrison, 
he  sent  a  few  vessels  of  light  draught  across  St.  Mary's 
Channel.  Already  the  white  population  had  retired  into 
the  interior  of  the  country  with  the  Soutlicrn  troops,  aban- 
doning the  towns,  villages,  and  plantations  on  the  coast. 
There  was  a  regular  panic  due  to  the  fear  of  the  reprisals 
which,  the  Secessionists  falsely  stated,  were  intended  by 
the  Federal  chief.  Not  only  in  Florida,  but  along  the 
Georgian    frontier,    along  the   whole   extent   of    country 


THE  MORNING  OF  THE  2ND  OF  MARCH.     KOI 

between  the  bays  of  Ossabaw  and  St.  Mary's,  the  people 
beat  a  precipitate  retreat  so  as  to  escape  from  the  troops 
landed  by  General  Wright.  Under  these  circumstances, 
Commodore  Dupont  did  not  have  to  fire  a  shot  to  get 
possession  of  Fort  Clinch  and  Fernandina.  The  t^unboat 
Ottatva,  on  which  was  Gilbert,  accompanied  by  Mars,  acted 
as  second,  and  had  to  use  its  guns  in  the  manner  following. 

The  town  of  Fernandina  is  connected  with  the  west 
coast  of  Florida  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  by  a  branch  rail- 
way which  runs  to  Cedar  Keys.  The  railway  runs  along 
the  coast  of  Amelia  Island  ;  then  before  it  reaches  the 
mainland  it  crosses  Nassau  Creek  on  a  long  bridge  of 
piles. 

When  the  Ottawa  reached  the  centre  of  the  creek  a 
train  was  on  the  bridge.  The  garrison  of  Fernandina  was 
in  flight,  taking  its  provisions  with  it,  and  followed  by 
many  of  the  more  or  less  important  people  of  the  town. 
Immediately  the  gunboat  started  at  full  speed  towards  the 
bridge  and  fired  her  bow-chasers  at  the  piles  and  the  train. 
Gilbert  was  in  charge  of  the  firing,  and  many  good  shots 
were  made ;  among  them  a  shell  struck  the  last  carriage 
of  the  train  and  broke  the  axle  and  the  coupling.  The 
train  did  not  stop  for  an  instant — to  do  so  would  have 
been  dangerous — and  leaving  the  carriage  to  look  after 
itself,  steamed  off  full  speed  to  the  south-west.  A  detach- 
ment of  Federal  troops  landed  at  Fernandina  appeared  at 
this  moment,  and  rushed  on  to  the  bridge.  The  carriage 
was  captured  with  the  fugitives  it  contained,  who  were 
chiefly  civilians.  The  prisoners  were  taken  to  the  superior 
ofificer,  Colonel  Gardner,  in  comm.and  at  Fernandina,  who 
took  their  names,  kept  them  for  twenty-four  hours  on  one 
of  the  vessels  of  the  squadron,  as  an  example,  and  then 
released  them. 

When  the  train  had  run  out  of  sight,  the  Ottawa  went 
off"  to  attack  and  seize  a  vessel  laden  with  war  material, 
which  had  taken  refuge  in  the  bay.  These  events  were 
calculated  to  spread  discouragement  among  the  Con- 
federate troops  and  the  people  of  the  Floridan  towns ;  and 
this  was  particularly  the  case  at  Jacksonville.    The  estuary 


102  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

of  the  St.  John's  would  be  forced  as  easily  as  had  been 
that  of  the  St.  Mary's  ;  that  was  very  evident,  and  probably 
the  Unionists  would  meet  with  no  more  resistance  at 
Jacksonville  than  at  St.  Augustine  and  the  other  coast 
towns. 

This  was  good  news  for  James  Burbank.  He  might 
well  believe  that  Texar  dared  not  nov/  give  effect  to  his 
plans.  He  and  his  partisans  would  be  superseded,  and  in 
due  course  the  honest  folks  would  resume  the  power  of 
which  an  outbreak  of  the  mob  had  dc2:)rived  them. 

There  was  every  reason  to  think  in  this  way  and  to 
hope ;  and  as  soon  as  the  staff  at  Camdless  Bay  heard  the 
important  news,  which  was  soon  knovn  at  Jacksonville, 
their  joy  showed  ilself  in  noisy  cheering,  in  which  Pyg- 
malion took  a  prominent  part.  Nevertheless,  it  would  not 
do  to  abandon  the  precautions  whicli  had  been  taken  to 
secure  the  safety  of  the  estate,  at  least  until  the  gunboats 
appeared  in  the  river. 

Unfortunately — and  this  James  Burbank  could  neither 
imagine  nor  suppose — a  whole  week  was  to  elapse  before 
the  Federals  were  ready  to  enter  the  St.  John's.  And 
during  that  time  what  dangers  were  to  threaten  Camdle.ss 
Bay! 

Commodore  Dupont's  plan  was  to  show  the  Federal 
flag  at  eveiy  point  where  vessels  could  go.  He  split  up 
his  squadron  into  detachments.  One  gunboat  was  sent 
up  the  St.  Mary's  River  to  occupy  the  little  town  of  that 
name,  and  advance  some  sixty  miles  up  the  country.  To 
the  south  were  sent  three  other  gunboats,  commanded  by 
Captain  Godon,  to  explore  the  bays,  seize  Jekyll  and  St. 
Simon's  islands,  and  take  possession  of  the  small  towns  of 
Brunsv/ick  a^iid  iJarien,  which  had  been  partly  abandoned 
by  their  inhabitants.  Six  steamers  of  light  draught  were 
destined,  under  the  orders  of  Commandant  Stevens,  to 
enter  the  St.  John's  and  reduce  Jacksonville.  The  rest  of 
the  squadron,  under  Dupont,  was  to  take  care  of  St. 
Augustine's  and  blockade  the  coast  down  to  Mosquito 
Inlet,  the  passes  of  which  ivould  .be  then  closed  against 
contraband  of  war. 


THE   MORNING   OF  THE   2ND  OF   MARCH.  IO3 

But  this  series  of  operations  could  not  be  accompli'^hed 
in  twenty-four  hours,  and  twenty-four  hours  would  be 
enough  for  the  devastation  of  the  country  by  the  So,uth- 
erners. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  James  Burbank 
had  his  first  suspicions  of  what  was  being  devised  against 
him.  Mr.  Perry,  after  a  round  of  inspection  on  the  frontier 
of  the  plantation,  came  hurriedly  into  Castle  House  and 
said, — 

"  Mr.  Burbank,  they  have  reported  that  some  suspicious 
vagabonds  are  on  their  way  to  Camdless  Bay." 

"  From  the  north  ? ''" 

"  From  the  north." 

Almost  at  the  same  moment  Zermah,  returning  from 
the  landing-place,  told  her  master  that  there  was  a  lot  of 
boats  crossing  the  river  and  approaching  the  right  bank. 

"  They  are  coming  from  Jacksonville  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"Go  into  the  house,"  said  Burbank,  "and  don't  go  out 
again,  Zermah,  on  any  pretence." 

"No,  master." 

Burbank  went  off  to  reconnoitre.  When  he  returned,  he 
could  not  but  tell  his  friends  that  matters  looked  threaten- 
ing. An  attack  seemed  almost  certain,  and  it  was  better 
that  all  should  be  forewarned. 

"And  so,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "these  scoundrels,  on  the 
eve  of  being  curbed  by  the  Federals,  dare — " 

"Yes,"  said  Burbank  coldly.  "Texar  could  not  miss 
such  an  opportunity  of  being  revenged  when  he  is  free  to 
disappear  as  soon  as  his  vengeance  is  satisfied.  Then  with 
more  animation  he  resumed,  "  But  will  this  man's  crimes 
always  remain  unpunished  ?  Will  he  always  get  away  ? 
In  truth  after  doubting  the  justice  of  man  are  we  to  doubt 
the  justice  of  i  leaven — " 

"James,"  said  Mrs.  Burbank,  "  at  a  time  when  we  ma) 
only  have  the  help  of  God  to  trust  to.  do  not  reproach 
Him— ^' 

"And  let  us  put  ourselves  under  His  care,"  said  Alice 
Stannard. 


£04  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

James  Burbank,  recovering  his  coolness,  set  about  giving 
his  orders  for  the  defence  of  the  house. 

"  Have  the  blacks  been  told  ? "  asked  Edward  Carrol. 

"They  will  be."  said  Burbank.  "My  idea  is  to  defend 
the  palisades.  We  cannot  think  of  defending  the  whole 
boundary  of  Camdless  Bay  against  an  armed  mob,  for  it  is 
likely  that  the  assailants  will  be  in  large  numbers.  We 
must  get  all  the  defenders  into  the  inner  ring.  If,  unfor- 
tunately, the  palisade  is  forced.  Castle  House,  which  once 
defied  the  Seminoles,  may  perhaps  be  held  against  Texar's 
bandits.  My  wife,  Alice,  and  Dy  and  Zermah,  to  whom  I 
entru.st  them,  must  not  leave  the  house  without  my  order. 
If  matters  become  serious,  everything  is  prepared  for  them 
to  save  themselves  by  the  tunnel  which  communicates 
with  the  little  Marine  Creek  of  the  St.  John's ;  there  a 
boat  will  be  found  in  charge  of  two  of  our  men.  It  is 
hidden  in  the  bu.shes  ;  and,  Zermah,  you  must  go  in  it  up 
the  river  to  Cedar  Rock." 

"  But  you,  James  ?  " 

"  And  you.  father  .? " 

Mrs.  Burbank  had  seized  the  planter  by  the  arm,  and 
Alice  had  caught  hold  of  Mr.  Stannard,  as  if  the  time  had 
come  for  them  to  escape  from  Castle  House. 

"W^e  will  do  all  we  can  to  rejoin  you,"  said  Burbank, 
"when  the  position  is  no  longer  tenable.  But  you  must 
promise,  if  the  danger  becomes  too  great,  to  get  away  to 
safety  at  Cedar  Rock.  We  shall  want  all  we  have  of 
courage  and  audacity  to  keep  back  the  scoundrels,  and 
resist  them  till  our  ammunition  fails." 

Evidently  this  is  what  would  have  to  be  done  if  the 
assailants  were  too  numerous  and  succeeded  in  forcing  the 
palisades  and  invading  the  park  so  as  to  make  a  direct 
attack  on  Castle  House. 

James  Burbank  then  called  together  his  men,  and  Perry 
and  his  assistants  ran  off  to  the  barracoons  with  his  orders. 
In  less  than  an  hour  the  blacks,  in  fighting  trim,  were 
drawn  up  near  the  gate  in  the  palisades.  Their  wives  and 
children  had  gone  off  to  seek  safety  in  the  v.oods  round 
Camdless  Bay. 


THE  MORNING  OF  THE  2ND  OF   MARCH.  105 

Unfortunately,  the  means  of  organizing  a  serious  defence 
vere  limited.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  war  it  had  been 
ilmost  impossible    to   procure    arms    and   ammunition  in 

ufiicient    quantity.     Burbank    had    in  vain   tried   to    buy 

hem  at  Jacksonville  ;  and  he  had  to  be  content  with  what 

•emained  in  the  house  after  the  last  siege  by  the  Seminoles. 

His  plan  was  to  preserve  Castle  House  from,  being  burnt 

Dr  stormed.      He  could  not  dream  of  protecting  tlie  estate, 

aving  the  workshops,  stores,  factories,  or  barracoons,  or 

)reventing  the  plantation  from  being  devastated.  He  had 
:iardly  four  hundred  negroes  in  a  state  to  oppose  the 
issailants,  and  these  were  insufficiently  armed.  A  few 
dozen  muskets  were  distributed  to  the  best  men,  while  the 
irms  of  precision  were  kept  in  reserve  for  James  Burbank, 
[lis  friends,  Perry,  and  the  assistant-overseers. 

The  whole  force  was  drawn  up  at  the  gate  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  repulse  the  threatened  assault  on  the  pali- 

ades,  which  were  also  defended  by  the  creek  that  ran 

ound  them. 

Amid  the  confusion  Pygmalion  was  very  busy  and  ex- 
:ited,  bustling  hither  and  thither  and  doing  nothing.  He 
A^as  like  one  of  those  circus  clowns  who  pretend   to  do 

verything  and  do  nothing,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the 
ludience.  Pyg,  considering  himself  as  belonging  specially 
:o  the  defenders  of  the  house,  did  not  dream  of  associating 
A^ith  his  comrades  outside.  Never  had  he  felt  himself  so 
devoted  to  James  Burbank. 

All  was  ready  in  the  garrison.  On  what  side  was  the 
ittack  to  come  ?  If  the  assailants  appeared  on  the  northern 
;ide  the  defence  could  be  most  easily  conducted.  If,  on 
:he  contrary,  they  attacked  on  the  river-front,  the  defence 
•vould  be  more  difficult,  owing  to  Camdless  Bay  being  open 
3n  that  side.  A  landing  is  always  a  difficult  operation,  it  is 
::ruc,  and,  under  any  circumstances,  it  would  require  a  good 
nany  boats  to  transport  an  armed  band  from  one  bank  of 
:he  St.  John's  to  the  other.  Thus  said  Burbank,  Carrol, 
md  Stannard  as  they  watched  the  return  of  the  scouts  Vv'ho 
lad  been  sent  to  the  boundary  of  the  plantation.  It  would 
lot  do  to  be  in  the, dark  as  to  the  manner  of  attack. 


^^  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 


About  half-past  four  in  the  evening  the  scouts  returned 
trom  the  northern  side  of  the  estate  and  made  their  report 

A  ^olumn  of  armed  men  were  advancing  in  that  direction 
Was  this  a  detachment  of  the  county  mihtia  or  only  a  divi- 
sion of  the  mob,  attracted  by  the  hope  of  pillage,  and 
charged  with  the  execution  of  Texar's  decree  concernino 
the  freed  slaves  ?  In  any  case,  the  column  was  a  thousand 
strong,  and  nothmg  could  be  done  against  it  with  the  force 
on  the  plantation.  It  might  perhaps  be  hoped  that,  if  the 
palisades  were  carried  by  assault,  Castle  House  would  offer 
a  longer  and  more  serious  resistance 

J-l  'Tffl'l?-^''^-  ^^'f  ^^'  ^°'"^^"  ^^^  ^^°^'ded  a  landing 
under  difficulties  in  the  httle  harbour  of  Camdless  Bay,  and 
had  crossed  the  river  below  Jacksonville  in  some  fifty  boats 
three  or  four  journeys  being  sufficient  to  ferry  it  over.  And 
n."l  ^  '  ' J'iT'''^^"  °^  collecting  his  men  within  the 
palisades  had  been  a  wise  one,  for  it  would  have  been 
miposs.ble  for  h.m  to  defend  his  frontier  against  such  an 

PrS^^hr^'  ^'  ^K^'""^  °^  ^^"  assailants-Texar  in  person  ? 
Probably  not       At  the  time  when    the  approach  of  the 

rlkvTo'7'  '^^'^'T''  '\t'  ^P""'"""^  migh't  consider  it  too 
risky  to  p  ace  h-mself  at  the  head  of  his  men.  If  he  had 
done  so,  ,t  vyould  be  because,  when  his  work  of  vengeance 
was  accomplished  the  plantation  devastated,  the  BuFbanks 
massacred  or  fallen  into  his  hands,  he  had  made  up  his 

T.  K  f- ^PJ  ^"^  ?^  '°''*'  P^^'^^P"^  ^^e"  to  the  Everglades 
(the  backwoods  of  Southern  Florida),  where  it  would  be 
ditticult  to  get  at  him. 

hJu^T'-^^''™°'^'^'^°"'  °^  t^^  possibilities,  and  Bur- 
h^A  -^  !,'?"  '^  ''"'''''"'  ^''^"Sht.  Hence  it  was  that  he 
had  decided  to  put  in  safety  his  wife  and  child,  and  Alice 
Stannard,  entrusted  to  the  devotion  of  Zermah,  at  Cedar 
Kock  wnichwas  about  a  mile  above   Camdless  Bay.     If 

S7hcr-°/^""^,2'V^^^''^  ^^"•'^'^  t°  the  assailants,  he 
.^LJJ'  "J\^  there  rejoin  the  family,  and  wait  till 

safety  was  assured  to  the  honest  people  of  Florida  under 
the  protection  of  the  Federal  army. 

And  so  a  boat  had  been  hidden  in  the   reeds  of  the  St. 


THE  MORNING  OF  THE  2ND  OF  MARCH.     lOJ 

John's,  and  left  to  the  keeping  of  two  negroes  at  the  end 
of  the  tunnel  which, led  from  the  house  to  Marine  Creek. 
,But  before  the  parting  took  place,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
4efend  the  house  for  a  few  hours — at  least  until  nightfall, 
when,  in  the  darkness,  the  bo:it  could  go  up  the  river  in 
secret,  without  risk  of  pursuit  from  the  suspicious-lookfng 
canoes  that  were  prowling  about  in  such  numbers. 


108  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   EVENING   OF   THE   2ND   OF   MARCH. 

James  Burbank,  with  his  companions,  and  most  of  the! 
blacks  were  ready  for  the  fight.  He  had  now  nothing  to! 
do  but  to  wait.  His  arrangements  were  to  make  his  first 
stand  at  the  palisades  round  the  private  park,  and  then,  i{ 
driven  back,  to  make  another  stand  behind  the  walls  of 
Castle  House. 

About  five  o'clock  the  increasing  tumult  showed  that 
the  assailants  were  not  far  off.  From  the  shouting  it  was 
only  too  easy  to  understand  that  they  were  in  possession 
of  the  northern  pa-rt  of  the  estate.  On  the  right,  thick 
columns  of  smoke  began  to  rise  above  the  trees.  The 
sawmills  had  been  set  on  fire,  and  the  barracoons,  after 
being  pillaged,  were  in  flames.  The  poor  people  had  not 
had  time  to  put  in  safety  the  few  things  that  the  act  of 
liberation  had  made  their  own  the  evening  before  ;  and 
loud  were  the  cries  of  despair  and  anger  that  answered  the 
shouts  of  the  marauders. 

Gradually  the  shouters  approached  Castle  House.  A 
strange  light  appeared  in  the  northern  horizon,  as  if  the 
sun  was  setting  in  that  direction.  Occasional  puffs  of 
warm  smoky  air  swept  up  against  the  house.  Violent  de- 
tonations produced  by  the  burning  of  the  dry  wood  in  the 
workshops  were  heard  every  now  and  then.  Once  a 
louder  explosion  than  the  rest  showed  that  the  boiler  at 
one  of  the  sawmills  had  been  blown  up.  Devastation  in 
all  its  horrors  was  evidently  in  progress. 

Burbank,  Carrol,  and  Stannard  were  at  the  gate  in  the 
palisades.  There  they  received  and  disposed  of  the  last 
detachment  of   negroes  that  were    gradually  coming  in. 


THE  EVENING  OF  THE  2ND  OF   MARCH.  lOg 

The  assailants  might  appear  at  any  moment.  The  increas- 
ing crackle  of  the  musketry  showed  that  they  could  not 
be  far  from  the  ring,  which  was  easy  of  assault,  for 
the  nearest  trees  were  not  fifty  yards  away.  The  Con- 
federates could  keep  in  cover  to  the  last  moment ;  and  the 
bullets  began  to  rain  on  the  palisades,  while  the  rifles 
remained  invisible. 

After  consideration  it  was  thought  best  to  withdraw  all 
the  men  within  the  fortress.  There  the  armed  negroes 
would  be  less  exposed,  as  they  could  fire  between  the 
angles  at  the  top  of  the  timbers  ;  and  when  the  assailants 
tried  to  cross  the  stream  and  carry  the  stronghold  by 
storm,  they  might  manage  to  repulse  them. 

The  negroes  were  all  withdrawn,  and  the  gate  was  about 
to  be  shut,  when  James  Burbank,  throwing  a  last  glance 
around  without,  caught  sight  of  a  man  at  full  run  towards 
him,  as  if  seeking  safety  amongst  the  defenders  of  Castle 
House.  A  few  shots  were  aimed  at  him  from  the  woods 
close  by,  but  did  not  hit  him.  With  a  bound  he  jumped 
on  the  drawbridge  and  was  in  safety  within  the  palisades. 
The  gate  was  immediately  shut  and  firmly  fastened. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  One  of  the  servants  of  Mr.  Harvey,  your  correspondent 
at  Jacksonville." 

"  Did  Mr.  Harvey  send  you  here  with  a  message  C  " 

"  Yes,  and  as  the  river  was  guarded,  I  could  not  cross  it 
hereabouts." 

"And  you  came  with  the  militia  without  being  sus- 
pected 1 " 

"  Yes.  They  are  followed  by  a  mob  of  looters.  I  came 
with  them,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  within  range,  1  ran  and 
risked  a  few  shots." 

"  Good,  my  friend  !  Thanks  !  You  have  Mr.  Harvey's 
message  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Burbank.     Here  it  is." 

Burbank  took  the  letter  and  read  it.  Mr.  Harvey  said 
he  might  put  implicit  confidence  in  his  messenger,  John 
Bruce,  of  whose  sincerity  there  could  be  no  doubt.     After 


no  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

hearing  the  news  he  brought,  Mr.  Burbank  would  see  what 
was  best  to  be  done. 

At  this  instant  a  volley  was  heard  from  without.  There 
was  not  a  moment  to  lose. 

"  What  would  Mr.  Harvey  have  me  understand  f"  asked 
Burbank. 

"  That  in  the  first  place,"  said  Bruce,  "  the  armed  mob 
which  is  attacking  Camdless  Bay  is  from  fourteen  to  fifteen 
hundred  strong." 

•   "  I  did  not  reckon  them  at  less.    What  next .?    IsTexar 
at  their  head  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Harvey  found  it  impossible  to  ascertain.  One 
thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that  Texar  has  not  been  at 
Jacksonville  for  the  last  four-and-twenty  hours  !  " 

"  That  ought  to  indicate  some  new  scheme  of  the 
scoundrers,"  said  Burbank. 

"Yes,"  answered  Bruce.  "That  is  what  Mr.  Harvey 
thinks.  Besides,  Texar  need  not  be  there  to  execute  the 
order  as  to  setting  adrift  the  freed  slaves — " 

"  Setting  them  adrift !  "  exclaimed  Burbank.  "  Setting 
them  adrift  and  helping  them  in  incendiarism  and 
robbery — " 

•*  And  Mr.  Harvey  thinks  that  while  there  is  time,  you 
would  do  well  to*  put  your  family  in  safety  by  sending 
them  away  at  once  from  Castle  House." 

"  Castle  House,"  said  Burbank,  "  can  be  defended,  and 
we  will  only  leave  it  when  it  is  untenable.  Is  there  any 
fresh  news  from  Jacksonville  ? " 

"  None." 

"  Have  not  the  Federal  troops  made  any  movement 
into  Florida  ?  " 

"  None  since  they  occupied  Fernandina  and  the  Bay  of 
St.  Mary's." 

"  And  what  is  the  chief  reason  of  your  being  sent  .-*  " 

"  To  tell  you  that  the  dispersal  of  the  slaves  was  only  a 
pretext  got  up  by  Texar  to  enable  him  to  lay  waste  the 
plantation,  and  make  you  his  prisoner." 

"Yea  do  not  know  if  Texar  is  at  the  head  of  these 
rascals  ?  " 


THE   EVENING  OF   THE   2ND   OF   MARCH.  ill 

"  No,  Mr.  Burbank.  Mr.  Harvey  tried  to  find  out,  but 
could  not.  And  I  have  tried  since  I  left  Jacksonville,  but 
without  success." 

"  Are  there  many  of  the  militia  with  this  mob  ?" 

"A  hundred,  at  the  outside,"  replied  Bruce,  "but  the 
mob  is  composed  of  the  very  worst  characters.  Texar  had 
them  supplied  with  weapons,  and  they  will  not  stop  at  any 
excess.  I  repeat,  Mr.  Burbank,  Mr.  Harvey's  opinion  is 
that  you  should  abandon  Castle  House  at  once.  He 
ordered  me  to  invite  you  to  his  cottage  at  Hampton  Red. 
It  is  about  a  dozen  miles  up  stream  on  the  right  bank, 
and  there  you  would  be  safe  for  some  days — " 

"Yes,  I  know." 

"  I  could  take  you  and  your  family  there  without  risk  of 
discovery,  if  you  will  go  at  once,  before  retreat  is  im- 
possible." 

"  I  thank  Mr.  Harvey,  and  you  too,  my  friend,"  said 
Burbank,  ''  but  we  have  not  yet  come  to  that." 

"As  you  wish,  Mr.  Burbank,"  answered  Bruce.  "  I  shall 
none  the  less  remain  until  you  require  my  services." 

The  attack,  which  now  began,  required  all  James  Bur- 
bank's  attention.  , 

A  violent  fusilade  burst  out,  although  the  assailants 
could  not  be  seen  owing  to  the  shelter  of  the  trees.  The 
bullets  rained  on  the  palisades,  but  did  little  damage. 
Unfortunately,  Burbank  and  his  companions  could  only 
reply  feebly,  having  only  forty  guns  amongst  them.  Being 
stationed  in  the  best  positions  for  firing  effectively,  theii 
shots  did  more  execution  than  those  of  the  militiamen  at 
the  head  of  the  column,  a  few  of  whom  were  hit,  though 
hidden  in  the  wood. 

This  long-range  fight  lasted  for  about  half  an  hour, 
rather  to  the  advantage  of  the  defenders.  Then  the 
assailants  rushed  at  the  palisades  to  storm  them.  As  the 
attack  was  to  be  delivered  on  several  sides  at  once,  they 
brought  with  them  planks  and  beams  from  the  workshops, 
now  in  flames.  In  twenty  places  these  beams  were  thrown 
across  the  stream,  and  over  them  rushed^  the  Spaniard's 
men  to  the  foot  of  the  palisades,  losing  several  of  their 

PART  I.  H 


112  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

number  in  killed  and  wounded.     And  then  they  cHmbe(  ^^ 
up  the  planks  and  hoisted  one  another  up  ;  but  they  d'u^ 
not  succeed    in    getting    over.      The    negroes,  infuriatet^s 
against  the  incendiaries,  repulsed  them  with  great  bravery 
But  it  was  evident  that  the  defenders  of  Camdless  Bai^r 
could  not  for   long  hold   out    at    all    points,  against  th*^' 
murderous  foe.      Until  nightfall  they  might  keep  them  a 
bay,  providing  they  were  not  seriously  wounded.    Burbanljii 
and  Stannard  had,   however,  not  been  touched.      Carrot' 
alone  had  been  hit,  by  a  ball  that  tore  open  his  shoulder! 
He  had  to  retire  to  the  hall,  where  Mrs.  Burbank,  Alice 
and  Zermah  gave  him  every  attention.  i 

But  night  was  coming  to  the  help  of  the  besiegers.  UndeiDi 
cover  of  the  darkness  some  fifty  of  the  most  determined)'! 
amongst  them  ran  up  to  the  gate,  axe  in  hand.  Probably  i' 
they  would  not  have  been  able  to  force  it  had  not  a  breach  ti 
been  opened  by  a  daring  manoeuvre.  c 

A  part  of  the  outbuildings  suddenly  took  fire,  and  the ' 
flames,  fed   by   the   dry  wood,   seized   on   the   palisades 
against  which  the  building  leant  J 

Burbank  rushed  towards  the  fire,  if  not  to  put  it  out,  at 
least  to  defend  the  breach. 

By  the  light  of  the  flames  he  saw  a  man  run  througbtl 
the  smoke,  climb  the  palisades,  and  escape  over  the  planks^' 
across  the  stream.  i: 

It  was  one  of  the  assailants,  who  had  penetrated  into 
the  park  on  the  St.  John's  side,  from  among  the  reeds. 
Unseen,  he  had  entered  the  stables,  and  at  the  risk  of 
perishing  in  the  flames,  had  set  fire  to  some  trusses  ofr 
straw.  V 

A  breach  was  thus  opened.  In  vain  Burbank  and  his: 
companions  endeavoured  to  bar  the  way.  A  mass  of 
assailants  threw  themselves  into  it,  and  the  park  wast 
invaded  by  several  hundred  men.  ; 

Many  fell  in  the  hand-to-hand  fight.  The  noise  of  the  = 
firing  was  heard  on  all  sides.  Soon  Castle  House  was 
entirely  surrounded,  while  the  negroes,  overwhelmed  by  the  1 
numbers,  were  forced  out  of  the  park  to  take  flight  in  the  1 
v/oods  of  Camdless  Bay.     They  had  fought  as   long  as  1 


THE  EVENING  OF  THE  2ND  OF   MARCH.  113 

hey  could,  with  courage  and  devotion  ;  but  if  they  had 
esisied  longer,  they  would  have  been  massacred  to  the 
1st  man. 

Burbank,  Stannard,  Perry,  the  assistant-overseers,  John 
Jruce,  who  had  fought  bravely,  and  a  few  blacks  had  to 
ake  refiige  in  Castle  House. 

It  was  then  nearly  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The 
|iight  was  dark  in  the  west.  In  the  north  the  sky  was 
iblaze  with  the  glare  of  the  conflagration. 

Burbank  and  Stannard  came  hurriedly  into  the  house. 

"  You  must  escape,"  said  Burbank.  "  You  must  go  at 
)nce.  Whether  the  thieves  force  their  way  in,  or  are  kept 
)utside  till  we  are  obliged  to  surrender,  there  is  danger  in 
;-our  remaining.  The  boat  is  ready.  It  is  time  to  part. 
\iy  wife,  Alice,  I  implore  you  to  follow  Zermah  with  Dy 
:o  Cedar  Rock.  There  you  will  be  in  safety,  and  if  we  are 
compelled  to  escape  in  our  turn,  we  will  find  you  there,  we 
vill  join  you." 

j    "  My  father,"  said  Alice,  "  come  with  us,  and  you  too, 
Mr.  Burbank." 
1    "  Yes,  James  !     Yes  !     Come  !  "  said  Mrs.  Burbank. 

"  I !  "  answered  Burbank,  "  I  abandon  Castle  House  to 
;hese  scoundrels  !  Never,  while  resistance  is  possible  ! 
We  can  hold  out  for  some  time  yet  And  when  you  are 
n  safety  we  shall  be  stronger  to  defend  ourselves  I " 

"James  \" 

"  It  is  necessary  ! " 

A  terrible  tumult  was  heard  as  he  spoke.  The  door 
'esounded  with  the  blows  dealt  on  i:  by  the  assailants, 
,vho  were  attacking  the  principal  or  river  front  of  the 
louse. 

"  Go  ! "  exclaimed  Burbank,  "  The  night  is  already 
dark  ;  they  will  not  see  you  in  the  shadow  !  Go  1  you 
ire  only  paralyzing  us  by  remaining  here !  For  God's 
>ake,  go  ! " 

Zermah  went  first,  holding  little  Dy  by  the  hand.  Mrs. 
Burbank  tore  herself  from  her  husband's  arms,  Alice  left 
ler  father's.  They  disappeared  down  the  staircase  which 
,ed  below  the  ground  into  the  tunnel  to  Marine  Creek. 


114  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

*  And  now,"  said  Burbank,  addressing  himself  to  Pen  u 
the  assistant-overseers,  and    the  few  negroes   remaini" 
"  now,  my  friends,  we  must  resist  to  the  death." 

Then  they  all  ascended  the  grand  staircase  from  tl." 
hall,  and  took  up   their  positions  at  the  windows  on  t', 
first  floor.     There,  to  the  hundreds  of  bullets  that  hone^,,^ 
combed  the  front  of  the  house,  they  answered  by  Tew^,,', 
but  more  effective  discharges,  firing,  as  they  did,  into  tt . 
mass  of  the  assailants,  who  came  on  to  force  their  wa  ^;, 
through  the  door  either  by  axe  or  flame.     There  was  n 
one  this  time  to  open  a  breach  into  the  house.     Such  a 
attempt  as  that  against  the  wooden  palisades  would  hav] 
been  useless  against  stone  walls. 

Nevertheless,  a  score  of  men,  stealing  along  in  the  darff 
ness,  which  now  was  profound,  gathered  on  the  step:! 
The  door  was  then  attacked  furiously.  It  needed  all  it 
solidity  to  withstand  the  blows  of  the  picks  and  axe 
The  attempt  cost  many  of  the  assailants  their  lives,  fc 
the  position  of  the  loopholes  admitted  of  a  cross  fire  on  t 
the  step. 

And  now  something  happened  to  make  matters  worse 
Ammunition  began  to  fail.  Burbank,  his  friends  am 
overseers,  and  the  blacks,  armed  with  guns,  had  used  th<[' 
greater  part  during  the  three  hours  the  assault  had  lastedf 
If  they  had  to  hold  out  much  longer,  how  could  they  d( 
it  after  the  last  cartridges  had  gone  ?  Would  they  hav< 
to  abandon  Castle  House  to  the  mob,  who  would  leavt 
nothing  of  it  but  ruins  ? 

And  this  would  certainly  have  to  be  done  if  the  assailant 
broke  in  the  door,  which  had  already  be^un  to  shake, 
Burbank  saw  this,  but  he  resolved  to  wait  till  the  last.  At 
any  moment  might  not  a  diversion  take  place  ?  There 
was  now  nothing  to  fear  for  Mrs.  Burbank,  his  daughter, 
nor  Alice  Stannard.  And  as  men  they  could  fight  to  the 
end  against  this  rabble  of  n^arderers,  incendiaries,  and 
thieves. 

"  We  have  still  ammunition  for  an  hour,"  said  Burbank. 
"  Use  it  all,  my  friends,  and  don't  let  us  give  up  Castlfl 
House."  ] 


tHi!  aVENlNQ  OF  TH^  2ND  0^  MARCH.  tis 

He  had  hardly  finished  speaking  when  a  loud  report 

s  heard  in  the  distance. 

'  A  cannon-shot !  "  he  exclaimed. 

Another  report  was  heard  to  the  westward,  on  the  other 

e  of  the  river. 

*  A  second  shot  !  "  said  Stannard. 
•'  Listen  !  "  said  Burbank. 

A  third  report  was  heard,  the  wind  bringing  it  more 

tinctly  to  Castle  House. 

'  Is  that  a  signal  to  recall  the  assailants  to  the  right 

nk  ?  "  asked  Stannard. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Bruce.     "  It  is  possible  that  there  has 

n  an  alarm  over  there." 

Yes,"  said  the  overseer ;  "  and  if  these  cannon-shots 
ve  not  been  fired  from  Jacksonville^ — " 

*  They  have  been  fired  from  the  Federal  fleet  !  "  said, 
rbank.  "  Has  the  flotilla  forced  the  entrance  of  the  St. 
Itin's  and  mounted  the  river  ?  " 

A.nd  there  was  nothing  impossible  in  Commodore  Du- 
nt's  being  now  master  of  the  river,  at  least  in  the  lower 
rt  of  its  course. 

But  it  was  not  so.  The  three  gunshots  had  been  fired 
m  the  battery  at  Jacksonville ;  that  was  quite  evident, 
no  more  firing  was  heard.  There  had  been  no  engage- 
nt  between  the  Northerners  and   Confederates  on  the 

John's  or  in  the  plains  of  Duval  county. 
And  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  this  had  been  the  signal 
recall  to  the  commander  of  the  militia  when  Perry,  who 
s  stationed  at  one  of  the  side  loopholes,  exclaimed, — 

They  are  retiring  !     They  are  retiring  !  " 
Burbank    and  his  companions   hurried   to   the   central 
idow,  which  they  opened. 

The  sounds  of  the  axe  were  no  longer  heard  against  the 
Dr.  Not  one  of  the  assailants  was  in  sight.  If  their 
.uts  and  yells  were  still  heard  in  the  air,  they  were  heard 
ther  and  further  away. 

Evidently  something  had  happened  to  oblige  the  au- 
)rities  at  Jacksonville  to  recall  this  mob  to  the  other 
ik  of  the  St.  John's.     Doubtless  it  had  been  agreed  that 


ii6  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

three  gunshots  should  be  fired  in  case  any  movement  Cj,, 
the  squadron  should  threaten  the  Confederate  position. 

So  the  assailants  had  abruptly  abandoned   their  fin,"' 
assault,  and  across  the  devastated  fields  of  the  estate  han 
taken  their  way,  lighted  by  the   fires  they  had  kindlei 
An  hour  later  they  re-crossed  the  river  two  miles  belovp 
Camdless  Bay,  where  the  boats  were  waiting  for  them.      L 

Soon  their  shouts  died  away  in  the  distance.  To  thi ' 
uproar  succeeded  absolute  silence.  It  was  as  the  silenc<|j, 
of  death  over  the  plantation. 

It  was  then  half-past  nine  o'clock.  Burbank  and  hi; 
companions  went  downstairs  to  the  hall.  There  la} 
Edward  Carrol,  stretched  on  the  sofa,  slightly  wounded 
and  somewhat  weakened  by  the  loss  of  blood. 

They  told  him  what  had  happened  since  the  signal  fron: 
Jacksonville.  For  the  moment,  at  least.  Castle  House  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  Texar's  gang. 

"  Yes,"  said  James  Burbank.     "  But  the  scoundrel  wished 
to  disperse  my  liberated   slaves,  and   they  are  dispersed 
He  wished  to  lay  waste  the  plantation   in  revenge,  andj. 
only  its  ruins  are  left !  " 

"  James,"  said  Walter  Stannard,  "  worse  misfortunes 
might  still  happen  to  us.  None  of  us  fell  in  defending 
Castle  House  ;  but  your  wife,  your  daughter,  and  my 
daughter  might  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  these  rascals, 
and  they  are  safe." 

"  You  are  right,  Stannard,  and  God  be  praised  for  it ! 
What  has  been  done  by  Texar's  orders  shall  not  go  un 
punished,  and  I  will  have  justice  to  the  last  drop  of  his 
blood." 

"  It  is  a  pity,"  said  Carrol,  "  that  Mrs.  Burbank,  Alice, 
Dy,  and  Zermah  left  us  !  I  know  we  seemed  to  be  in 
great  danger  then  ;  but  I  would  rather  know  they  were 
here." 

"  Before  the  morning,"  said  Burbank,  "  I  will  rejoin 
them.  They  will  be  dreadfully  anxious,  and  we  must  set 
their  minds  at  rest.  I  will  then  see  if  we  can  bring  them 
back  to  Camdless  Bay,  or  leave  them  for  a  day  or  two  at 
Cedar  Rock." 


THE  EVENING  OF  THE   2ND  OP  MARCH.  it; 

"  Yes,"  said  Stannard.  "  We  must  not  be  hasty.  All 
lay  not  be  over  ;  and  as  long  as  Jacksonville  is  under 
."exar's  control  we  have  something  to  fear." 

"  That  is  why  I  will  act  prudently,"  answered  Burbank. 
Perry,  you  will  see  that  a  boat  is  ready  a  little  before 
aybreak.     I  shall  only  want  one  man  to  go  with  me — " 

A  cry  of  grief,  a  shout  of  despair,  suddenly  interrupted 
im. 

The  cry  came  from  that  part  of  the  park  where  the  lawn 
ay  in  front  of  the  house.     It  was  immediately  followed 
)y  the  words — 
;  "Father!     Father!" 

\  "  My  daughter's  voice  ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Stannard. 
!   "  What  new  misfortune  ! "  asked  Burbank.     And  open- 
ng  the  door  they  rushed  out. 

i   Alice  was  standing  a  few  yards  away,  and  at  her  feet 
iay.Mrs.  Burbank. 
,    Neither  Dy  nor  Zermah  were  with  them. 

"  My  child  !  "  exclaimed  Burbank.  At  the  sound  of  hi3 
oice  his  wife  rose.  She  could  not  speak.  She  stretched 
^ut  her  arms  towards  the  river. 

"  Carried  off }     Carried  off  ?  " 

"  Yes  !  by  Texar ! "  said  Alice. 

And  then  she  fell  senseless  by  Mrs.  Burbank's  side. 


iiB  MORTH  AND  SOUIU 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   SIX   DAYS   THAT   FOLLOWED. 

When  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  were  in  the  tunnel  leading 
to  Marine  Creek,  Zermah  was  in  front.  The  slave  held  the 
little  girl  with  one  hand  ;  with  the  other  she  carried  a 
lantern,  by  whose  feeble  light  they  walked.  When  she 
reached  the  end  of  the  tunnel  Zermah  asked  Mrs.  Burbank 
to  wait  for  her.  She  intended  to  make  sure  that  the  boat 
and  the  two  negroes  that  were  to  take  them  to  Cedar 
Rock  were  at  their  post.  Opening  the  door  at  the  end  of 
the  tunnel  she  stepped  out  towards  the  river. 

For  a  minute — only  a  minute — Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice 
waited  for  Zermah's  return,  when  Alice  noticed  that  Dy 
was  not  with  them. 

"  Dy !  Dy ! "  shouted  Mrs.  Burbank,  at  the  risk  of 
betraying  her  presence. 

The  child  did  not  answer.  Accustomed  to  follow  Zer- 
mah, she  had  gone  with  her  out  of  the  tunnel  towards  the 
creek  before  her  mother  had  noticed  her. 

Suddenly  a  groaning  was  heard.  Fearing  some  new 
danger,  and  thinking  not  for  a  moment  of  their  own  safety, 
they  ran  out  to  the  bank  of  the  creek,  and  reached  it  just 
in  time  to  see  a  boat  disappearing  in  the  darkness. 

"  Help  !    Help  !     It  is  Texar  !  "  shouted  Zermah. 

"  Texar !  Texar !  "  shouted  Alice  in  reply.  And  with 
her  hand  she  pointed  to  the  Spaniard,  revealed  by  the 
reflection  of  the  fires  at  Camdless  Bay.  He  was  standing 
upright  in  the  boat  which  rapidly  shot  away. 

Then  all  was  silent. 

The  two  negroes  with  their  throats  cut  lay  dead  on  the 
ground. 


THB  mX  DAYS  THAT  FOLLOWED.  i\g 

Then  Mrs.  Burbank,  in  distraction,  followed  by  Alice 
who  in  vain  tried  to  stop  her,  ran  along  the  bank,  calling 
after  her  little  daughter.  No  cry  answered  to  hers.  The 
boat  had  become  invisible,  either  because  the  gloom  had 
veiled  it  from  her  sight,  or  because  it  had  crossed  the  river 
to  some  point  on  the  left  bank. 

For  an  hour  this  vain  pursuit  continued.  At  last  Mrs. 
Burbank  fell  exhausted.  Alice,  with  extraordinary  energy, 
helped  the  unfortunate  mother  to  rise,  supported  her,  and 
almost  carried  her.  In  the  distance,  in  the  direction  of 
Castle  House,  rang  out  the  reports  of  the  firearms,  mingled 
every  now  and  then  with  the  terrible  yells  of  the  besiegers. 
But  it  was  necessary  to  go  back  in  that  direction,  to  try 
and  get  back  to  the  house  along  the  tunnel,  to  open  the 
door  which  communicated  with  the  underground  stairs. 
When  she  reached  that  spot  how  would  Alice  make  her- , 
self  heard  ? 

She  dragged  Mrs.  Burbank  along,  but  the  mother  was 
unconscious  of  what  she  was  doing.  Twenty  times  did  they 
stop  as  they  returned  along  the  riverside.  At  any  instant 
they  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  who  were  wrecking 
the  plantation.  Would  it  be  better  to  wait  till  daylight  ? 
But  how  in  this  place  could  she  give  Mrs.  Burbank  the 
attention  her  state  required  ?  And  so,  cost  what  it  might, 
Alice  resolved  to  get  back  to  Castle  House.  And  as  the 
winding  of  the  river  lengthened  the  way,  she  thought  it 
would  be  better  to  go  straight  across  the  fields,  guided  by 
the  light  of  the  burning  barracoons.  This  she  did,  and  thus 
it  was  she  came  near  the  house. 

There  Mrs.  Burbank  fell  motionless  at  her  feet.  She 
could  support  her  no  longer. 

By  this  time  the  detachment  of  militia,  followed  by  the 
horde  of  pillagers,  had  given  up  the  assault,  and  were  far 
from  the  palisades.  Not  a  shout  was  heard  within  or 
without.  Alice  imagined  that  the  assailants  had  captured 
the  house  and  abandoned  it  without  leaving  one  of  its 
defenders  alive.  Supreme  was  her  anguish  ;  her  strength 
failed  her,  and  she,  too,  fell  to  the  ground,  while  a  last 
g^roan  escaped  from  her,  a  last  appeal.     It  had  been  heard. 


120  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

Burbank  and  his  friends  had  rushed  out.  Now  they  knew 
all  that  had  passed  at  Marine  Creek.  What  mattered  it  to 
them  that  the  plunderers  had  gone  ?  What  mattered  it 
to  them  that  there  was  no  fear  of  falhng  into  their  power  ? 
A  dreadful  misfortune  had  come  to  them.  Little  Dy  was 
in  the  hands  of  Texar ! 

This  was  the  story  told  by  Alice,  broken  with  many 
sobs,  and  listened  to  by  Mrs.  Burbank,  who  had  returned 
to  consciousness  and  was  bathed  in  tears.  This  is  what  was 
learnt  by  Burbank,  Stannard,  Carrol,  Perry,  and  their  few 
companions.  T.he  poor  child,  taken  they  knew  not  where, 
in  the  hands  of  her  father's  cruellest  enemy !  What  could 
be  worse  than  that  ?  Could  the  future  have  greater  griefs 
in  store  ? 

All  were  overwhelmed  at  the  blow.  Mrs.  Burbank  was 
taken  to  her  room  and  laid  on  her  bed,  and  Alice  remained 
with  her. 

Below,  in  the  hall,  Burbank  and  his  friends  endeavoured 
to  devise  some  plan  by  which  they  could  recover  Dy  and 
rescue  Zermah  from  Texar's  hands.  The  devoted  half- 
breed  would  certainly  endeavour  to  defend  the  child  to  the 
death !  But  as  the  prisoner  of  a  scoundrel  animated  by 
personal  hatred,  would  she  not  pay  with  her  life  for  the 
curses  she  hurled  at  him  ? 

Then  James  Burbank  blamed  himself  for  having  forced 
his  wife  to  leave  Castle  House,  for  having  arranged  such  a 
means  of  flight  which  had  turned  out  so  badly.  Was 
Texar's  presence  at  Marine  Creek  to  be  attributed  to 
chance  .''  Evidently  not.  Texar,  in  some  way  or  another, 
had  heard  of  the  existence  of  the  tunnel.  He  had  said  to 
himself  that  the  defenders  of  Camdless  Bay  would  endea- 
vour to  escape  by  it  when  they  could  no  longer  hold  out 
in  the  house.  And,  after  leading  his  men  to  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  after  forcing  the  palisades,  and  driving 
Burbank  behind  the  walls  of  the  house,  there  could  be 
no  doubt  he  and  some  of  .his  accomplices  had  posted 
themselves  near  Marine  Creek.  There  he  had  suddenly 
surprised  the  two  blacks  in  charge  of  the  boat,  and  cut 
tbeir  throats,  their  cries  being  unheard  amid  the  tumult 


THE  SIX   DAYS  THAT  FOLLOWED.  121 

made  by  the  besiegers  of  the  house.  The  Spaniard  had 
waited  till  Zermah  appeared  with  little  Dy  close  behind. 
Seeing  them  alone,  he  probably  thought  that  neither  Mrs. 
Burbank,  nor  her  husband,  nor  her.  friends  were  going  to 
leave  Castle  House.  Then  he  would  have  to  be  content 
with  this  prey^  and  had  seized  on  the  child  and  the  half- 
breed  to  carry  them  off  to  some  retreat  whence  it  would  be 
impossible  to  recover  them. 

And  with  what  more  terrible  blow  could  the  scoundrel 
have  visited  the  Burbanks  ? 

A  horrible  night  was  passed  by  the  survivors.  Was  there 
not  a  chance  that  the  assailants  might  return  in  greater  num- 
bers and  better  armed  ?  Fortunately,  they  did  not.  When 
the  day  broke  there  had  been  no  renewal  of  the  attack. 

But  it  was  important  to  know  why  the  three  cannon- 
shots  had  been  fired  the  night  before,  and  why  the  assail- 
ants had  retired  when  one  effort  more — an  hour's  effort  at 
the  outside — would  have  given  them  the  house.  Was  the 
recall  due  to  some  demonstration  of  the  Federals  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  John's  ?  Had  Commodore  Duponf  s 
ships  become  masters  of  Jacksonville  ?  Nothing  in  Bur- 
bank's  interest  could  be  more  desirable.  In  all  safety  he 
could  begin  his  search  to  recover  Dy  and  Zermah,  and 
openly  attack  Texar — if  the  Spaniard  had  not  retreated 
with  his  partisans — and  prosecute  him  as  the  promoter  of 
the  havoc  at  Camdless  Bay  and  the  double  abduction  of 
the  half-breed  and  child. 

This  time  no  such  alibi  was  possible  as  that  which  the 
Spaniard  had  produced  at  the  opening  of  this  history,  when 
he  appeared  before  the  magistrate  at  Saint  Augustine. 
If  Texar  was  not  at  the  head  of  this  band  of  scoundrels 
who  had  invaded  Camdless  Bay — as  Mr.  Harvey's  mes- 
senger had  been  unable  to  ascertain — the  last  cry  of 
Zermah  had  only  too  clearly  revealed  the  part  he  took  in 
the  abduction.  And  had  not  Alice  recognized  him  as  the 
boat  was  rowing  away  ? 

Yes  !  Federal  justice  would  make  the  scoundrel  confess 
where  he  had  taken  his  victims,  and  punish  the  crimes 
which  he  could  not  deny. 

PART  I.  Z 


i'i»  Hortn  AND  soufs. 

Unfortunately,  nothing  happened  to  confirm  this  hyp6» 
thesis  concerning  the  arrival  of  the  Northern  flotilla  in  the 
waters  of  the  St.  John's.  At  this  date,  the  3rd  of  March, 
no  ship  had  left  the  bay  of  St.  Mary's,  as  was  only  too 
clearly  ascertained  by  the  news  which  one  of  the  assistant- 
overseers  brought  in  during  the  day  from  the  other  bank 
of  the  river,  to  which  he  had  gone  to  inquire.  No  vessel 
had  appeared  off  Pablo  light.  The  whole  fleet  was 
employed  at  Fernandina  and  Fort  Clinch.  It  seemed 
as  though  Commodore  Dupont  could  only  advance  into 
the  centre  of  Florida  with  extreme  circumspection.  At 
Jacksonville  the  rioters  were  still  in  power.  After  the 
expedition  to  Camdless  Bay  the  Spaniard  had  again 
appeared  in  the  town,  and  was  organizing  the  defence 
against  Stevens's  gunboats,  should  they  try  to  cross  the 
bar.  Doubtless  some  false  alarm  the  evening  before  had 
called  back  the  looters.  After  all,  was  not  Texar's 
vengeance  sufficient,  now  that  the  plantation  had  been 
wasted,  the  factories  fired,  the  negrocjs  dispersed  in  the 
forests  with  nothing  but  the  ruins  of  the  barracoons  left  to 
them,  and  little  Dy  taken  away  from  her  father  and 
mother,  with  no  trace  as  to  where  she  had  gone  ? 

Of  this  James  Burbank  felt  only  too  certain,  when 
during  the  morning  he  and  Walter  Stannard  explored 
the  right  bank  of  the  river.  In  vain  they  searched  the 
smaller  creeks  for  some  clue  as  to  the  direction  taken  by 
the  boat.  The  search  could  at  the  best  be  but  incomplete, 
unless  the  left  bank  was  searched  as  well. 

But  at  this  time,  was  not  this  impossible  ?  Would  it 
not  be  necessary  to  wait  till  Texar  and  his  partisans  were 
reduced  to  impotence  by  the  arrival  of  the  Federals? 
With  Mrs.  Burbank  in  such  a  state,  Alice  unable  to  leave 
her,  and  Carrol  laid  up  for  some  days,  would  it  not  be 
imprudent  to  leave  them  alone  at  Castle  House,  when  the 
return  of  the  assailants  was  not  unlikely  ? 

And  what  was  even  more  maddening  was,  that  Burbank 
could  not  dream  of  proceeding  against  Texar,  either  for  the 
devastation  of  his  estate,  nor  the  abduction  of  Zermah  and 
his  daughter.     The  only  magistrate  to  whom   he  could 


THE  SIX  DAYS   THAT   FOLLOWED.  123 

address  himself  was  the  author  of  the  crime.  All  that 
could  be  done  was  to  wait  until  regular  justice  had  resumed 
its  course  at  Jacksonville. 

"  James,"  said  Mr.  Stannard,  "  if  the  dangers  which 
threaten  your  ^child  are  terrible,  at  least  Zermah  is  with 
her,  and  you  can  depend  on  her  devotion — " 

"  Till  death— quite  so  !  "  said  Burbank.  "And  when  will 
Zermah  be  dead  ? " 

"  Listen,  my  dear  James.  Consider  for  a  moment.  It 
is  not  Texar's  interest  to  proceed  to  such  extremities. 
He  has  not  yet  left  Jacksonville,  and  until  he  has  1 
think  his  victims  have  no  act  of  violence  to  fear.  Your 
child  will  be  a  guarantee,  a  hostage  against  the  reprisals 
which  he  has  to  guard  against,  not  only  from  you,  but 
from  the  Federals,  for  having  suspended  the  regular 
authorities  of  Jacksonville,  and  devastated  a  Northener's 
plantation.  It  is  his  interest  to  spare  them,  and  wait  till 
Dupont  and  Sherman  are  masters  of  the  territory  before 
you  do  anything  against  him." 

"  And  when  will  that  be  ?  "  asked  Burbank. 

"  To-morrow !  To-day,  perhaps !  I  tell  you,  Dy  is 
Texar's  safeguard.  It  is  for  that  purpose  he  took  the 
opportunity  of  carrying  her  off,  knowing  that  it  would 
also  break  your  heart,  my  poor  James  ;  and  the  scoundrel 
has  succeeded  only  too  well." 

Thus  reasoned  Mr.  Stannard,  and  he  had  good  grounds 
for  doing  so.  Would  he  convince  James  Burbank? 
Doubtless,  no.  Would  he  give  him  any  hope  ?  None.  It 
was  impossible.  But  Burbank  saw  that  he  must  force 
himself  to  talk  before  his  wife  as  Stannard  had  talked  to 
him.  Otherwise  she  would  not  survive  the  blow.  And 
when  he  reached  home,  he  made  much  use  of  the  argu- 
ments which  had  no  effect  upon  himself. 

Meanwhile,  Perry  and  his  assistant  overseers  visited 
Camdless  Bay.  It  was  a  heartrending  spectacle  which 
even  made  a  great  impression  on  Pygmalion,  who  accom- 
panied them.  The  "  free  .man "  had  never  dreamt  of 
following  the  freed  slaves  dispersed  by  Texar,  The  liberty 
to  sleep  in  the  woods  and  suffer  cold  and  hunger  seemed 
I  2 


124  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

LO  him  excessive.  As  he  preferred  to  remain  at  Castle 
House,  he  ought^  hke  Zermah,  to  have  torn  up  his  act  of 
enfranchisement  to  gain  the  right  to  Hve  there. 

"  You  see,  Pyg ! "  said  Mr.  Perry^  "  the  plantation  is 
laid  waste,  our  workshops  are  in  ruins.  That  is  what  has 
been  the  cost  of  giving  liberty  to  people  of  your  colour." 

"  Mr.  Perry,"  replied  Pygmalion,  "  it  is  not  my  fault — " 

"  It  is  your  fault.  If  fellows  like  you  had  not  applauded 
the  speechifiers  who  thundered  against  slavery,  if  you  had 
protested  against  the  ideas  of  the  North,  if  you  had  taken 
arms  to  repulse  the  Federal  troops,  Mr.  Burbank  would 
never  have  to  think  of  freeing  you,  and  disaster  would 
never  have  come  to  Camdless  Bay." 

"  But  what  can  I  do  now  ?  "  said  the  disconsolate  Pyg. 
«  What  can  I  do,  Mr.  Perry  ? " 

"  1  will  tell  you,  Pyg,  if  you  have  the  least  feeling  of 
justice  about  you.     You  are  free,  are  you  not  ? " 

"  It  seems  so." 

"  And  consequently,  you  belong  to  yourself.?" 

"Certainly." 

"  And  if  you  belong  to  yourself,  there  is  nothing  to  stop 
you  from  doing  what  you  like  with  yourself. -'" 

"  Nothing,  Mr.  Perry." 

"  Well,  in  your  [lace,  Pyg,  I  should  not  hesitate.  I  would 
go  to  the  nearest  plantation  and  again  become  a  slave,  and 
the  price  I  realized  by  my  sale  I  would  bring  back  to  my 
old  master,  to  indemnify  him  for  the  wrong  I  did  him  when 
he  set  me  free  !  " 

Did  the  overseer  speak  seriously  ?  It  was  impossible  to 
know  what  nonsense  the  witty  man  might  talk  once  he 
had  mounted  his  hobby.  Pygmalion,  the  piteous  Pyg- 
malion, disconcerted,  irresolute,  abashed,  did  not  know 
what  to  reply. 

It  was  only  too  evident  that  James  Burbank's  act  of 
generosity  had  brought  misfortune  and  ruin  on  the  planta- 
tion. The  disaster  v.ouid  cost  him  a  considerable  amount 
of  money.  There  were  no  barracoons  left ;  they  had  fallen 
after  they  had  been  sacked.  The  sawmills  and  workshops 
were  only  heaps  of  cinders  from  which  grey  wreaths  of 


THE   SIX   DAYS  THAT  FOLLOWED.  12$ 

smoke  still  rose.  In  place  of  the  stores  where  the  timber 
was  kept,  of  the  factories  where  the  cotton  was  heckled, 
of  the  hydraulic  presses  where  it  was  squeezed  into  bales, 
of  the  sugar-mills,  there  were  only  blackened  walls  ready  to 
fall,  ana  where  the  chimney  of  the  factory  rose,  there  was 
now  but  a  mound  of  reddened  bricks.  The  fields  of  coffee 
and  rice,  the  kitchen  garden,  the  enclosures  for  the 
domestic  animals,  had  been  completely  laid  waste,  as  if  a 
herd  of  wild  beasts  had  ravaged  them  for  hours.  At  the 
sight  of  this  lamentable  spectacle,  Mr.  Perry  could  hardly 
contain  himself.  His  anger  escaped  in  threatening  words. 
Pygmalion  felt  anything  but  comfortable  at  the  fierce 
looks  the  overseer  gave  him  ;  and  he  ended  by  leaving,  to 
return  to  Castle  House,  in  order  that,  as  he  said,  he  might 
reflect  more  at  his  ease  on  the  proposition  as  to  selling 
himself,  which  the  overseer  had  made.  And,  doubtless, 
the  day  was  not  long  enough  for  his  reflection,  for  when 
evening  came,  he  was  still  undecided. 

During  the  day  a  few  of  the  old  slaves  returned  in  secret 
to  Camdless  Bay.  It  may  be  imagined  what  was  their 
distress  when  they  found  not  a  single  hut  undestroyed. 
James  Burbank  gave  orders  that  as  much  as  possible 
should  be  done  for  them.  A  certain  number  were  lodged 
within  the  palisades  in  the  servants'  quarters  that  the 
fire  had  not  touched.  They  were,  at  first,  employed 
in  burying  their  companions  who  had  died  in  the 
defence  of  the  house,  and  also  the  corpses  of  the 
assailants  who  had  fallen  in  the  attack — the  wounded 
had  been  carried  away  by  their  comrades.  And  they 
also  buried  the  two  negroes  who  had  been  killed  by 
Texar  and  his  accomplices  when  surprised  at  their  post 
near  Marine  Creek. 

This  done,  James  Burbank  could  not  set  about  getting 
his  estate  again  into  order  until  the  question  between 
North  and  South  was  settled  in  Florida.  Other  cares, 
equally  serious  but  very  difierent,  absorbed  his  attention 
night  and  day.  All  in  his  power  to  do  to  recover  some 
trace  of  his  little  daughter  he  did.  Mrs.  Burbank's  health 
was  in  a  precarious  state,  although  Alice  had  not  left  her 


126  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

for  a  moment,  and  watched  over  her  with  filial  solicitude  ; 
and  it  was  necessary  to  find  a  doctor  for  her. 

There  was  one  in  Jacksonville  who  possessed  the  full 
confidence  of  the  Burbanks  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  was  sent 
for  he  did  not  hesitate  to  come  to  Camdless  Bay,  He 
prescribed  a  few  remedies.  But  would  they  be  efficacious 
so  long  as  Dy  remained  unrestored  to  her  mother  ? 

Leaving  Carrol,  who  would  have  to  keep  to  his  room  for 
some  days,  Burbank  and  Stannard  went  out  each  day  to  ex- 
plore both  banks  of  the  river.  They  searched  the  islands 
in  the  St.  John's  ;  they  asked  the  country  people  ;  they 
inquired  in  the  smallest  villages  in  the  county ;  they 
promised  a  heavy  reward  to  any  one  who  would  bring 
them  any  clue.  Their  efforts  remained  useless.  How 
could  they  learn  what  was  going  on  in  Black  Creek  where 
the  Spaniard  hid  himself?  No  one  knew  of  it.  And, 
besides,  to  withdraw  his  victims  the  better  from  all  search, 
had  not  Texar  taken  them  further  up  the  river  ?  Was  not 
the  county  large  enough,  were  there  not  enough  hiding- 
places  in  the  vast  forests  in  tlie  centre,  amid  the  immense 
marshes  in  the  South  of  Florida,  in  the  region  of  the  inac- 
cessible Everglades,  for  Texar  to  hide  his  victims  so  that 
they  could  not  be  reached  ? 

At  the  same  time,  through  the  doctor  coming  to  Camd- 
less Bay,  Burbank  was  kept  informed  of  what  was  passing 
at  Jacksonville  and  in  the  north  of  Duval  County. 

The  Federals  had  made  no  new  demonstration.  Had 
special  instructions  arrived  from  Washington  forbidding 
them  to  cross  the  frontier  ?  Such  a  proceeding  would  be 
disastrous  for  the  Unionists  in  the  SoLLh,  and  particularly 
so  for  Jatnes  Burbank. 

Nevertheless,  Commodore  Dupont's  squadron  remained 
in  the  estuary  of  the  St.  Mary's,  and  if  Texar's  men  had 
been  recalled  by  the  three  canon-shots  fired  on  the  2nd 
of  March,  it  was  because  the  Jacksonville  authorities  had 
been  deceived  by  a  false  alarm  ;  and,  through  the  error, 
Castle  House  had  escaped  from  pillage  and  ruin. 

But  would  not  the  Spaniard  send  another  expedition  to 
complete  his  work,  seeing  that  James  Burbank  was  not  in 


tHE  SIX   DAYS  THAT  FOLLOWED.  127 

lis  hands  ?  An  unlikely  hypothesis  !  At  present,  the 
ttack  on  Castle  House  and  the  carrying  oft"  of  Dy  and 
^ermah  were  probably  enough  for  him.  Besides,  some  of 
he  better-class  citizens  had  not  hesitated  to  show  their 
Jisapprobation  of  the  affair  at  Camdless  Bay,  and  their 
lisgust  at  the  chief  of  the  Jacksonville  rioters,  although 
heir  opinion  might  matter  little  to  Texan  The  Spaniard 
vas  more  powerful  than  ever  in  Duval  County.  His 
agabonds  and  unscrupulous  adventurers  were  quite  at 
:heir  ease.  Each  day  they  gave  themselves  up  to  pleasures 
)f  all  sorts,  degenerating  into  orgies.  The  noise  of  the 
Tierry-makings  even  reached  the  plantation  ;  and  the  sky 
Jlowed  with  the  public  illuminations,  which  might  be  taken 
or  the  light  of  another  incendiary  fire.  Moderate  men 
,vere  reduced  to  silence,  and  had  to  submit  to  the  yoke  of 
ihis  faction,  which  was  supported  by  the  populace  of  the 
:ounty. 

The  temporary  inaction  of  the  Federal  army  oppor- 
tunely came  in  to  help  the  new  authorities,  who  profited 
by  it  to  spread  the  report  that  the  Northerners  would  not 
pass  the  frontier  ;  that  they  had  received  orders  to  retreat 
Into  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  ;  that  Florida  would  not  be 
ubjected  to  the  invasion  of  the  anti-slavery  troops  ;  that 
its  position  as  an  old  Spanish  colony  put  it  outside  the 
question  the  United  States  were  seeking  to  solve  by  force 
:bf  arms,  &c.,  &c.  And  in  all  the  counties  there  was  pro- 
duced a  certain  current  favourable  rather  than  contrary  to 
the  ideas  which  the  partizans  'of  violence  represented. 
This  was  apparent  in  many  places,  particularly  in  the 
north,  on  the  Georgian  frontier,  where  the  planters  with 
Northern  sympathies  were  atrociously  treated,  their  slaves 
put  to  flight,  their  sawmills  and  factories  destroyed  by  fire, 
ti.eir  establishments  devastated  by  the  Confederate  troops, 
as  Camdless  Bay  had  just  been  by  the  populace  of  Jack- 
onville. 

It  did  not,  however,  seem — at  present  at  least— that 
there  was  a  chance  of  the  plantation  being  again  invaded. 
|But  much  did  James  Burbank  chafe  at  the  delay  of  the 
Federals  in  making  themselves  masters  of  the  territory. 


128  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

As  things  stood,  nothing  could  be  done  against  Texar 
either   to  bring  hinn   to  justice   for    what   could    not   be 
denied,  or  compel  him  to  reveal  the  hiding-place  of  Dy 
and  Zermah. 

Burbank  could  not   bring   himself  to  believe  that  the 
Federals  were  going    to  remain  quietly  on  the  frontier. 
Gilbert's  last  letter  had  expressly  stated  that  the  expedition  s 
of  Commodore  Dupont   and    Sherman    was  destined  forh 
Florida.     Since  this  letter,  had  the  Federal  Governmentjn 
sent  diiil'erent  orders  to  Edisto  Bay,  where  the  squadron 
was  waiting  ?     Had  a  success  of  the  Confederate  troops 
in  Virginia  or   the    Carolinas    obliged    the   army  of  the 
Union  to  halt  in  its  march  to  the  South  ? 

Thus  passed  the  five  days  which  followed  the  attack  on 
Camdless  Bay.  There  was  no  news  of  a  movement  of  the 
Federals.  No  news  of  Dy  and  Zermah,  although  Burbank 
had  done  his  best  to  come  on  tlieir  track,  and  not  a  day 
had  passed  without  some  fresh  effort. 

The  9th  of  March  had  come.  Edward  Carrol  had 
complete  ly  recovered.  He  was  now  fit  to  join  in  the  work 
of  his  friends.  Mrs.  Burbank  continued  extremely  weak. 
It  seemed  as  though  her  life  threatened  to  take  flight  with 
her  tears.  In  her  delirium  she  called  her  little  daughter 
in  heartrending  tones  ;  she  attempted  to  go  in  search  of 
her.  These  crises  were  followed  by  syncopes,  which  put 
her  life  in  danger.  Often  and  often  Alice  feared  that  the 
unhappy  mother  would  die  in  her  arms. 

A  war  rumour  reached  Jacksonville  on  the  morning  of 
the  9th  of  March.  Unfortunately,  it  was  calculated  to 
give  new  encouragement  to  the  partizans  of  Secession. 

The  Confederate  general,  Van  Dorn,  had  repulsed  the  | 
soldiers  of  Curtis  on  the  6th  of  March  at  the  battle  of  t 
Betonville,  in  Arkansas,  and  obliged  them  to  retreat. 
Really  this  was  an  engagement  with  the  rear-guard  of  a 
small  Northern  corps  ;  and  the  success  was  more  than 
compensated  for  a  few  days  afterwards  by  the  victory  of 
Pea  Ridge.  It,  however,  provoked  an  increase  of  insolence 
among  the  Southerners.  At  Jacksonville,  the  unimportant 
action  was  celebrated  as  a  complete  check  to  the  FederaJ 


THE  SIX  DAYS    riiAT   FOLLOWED.  129 

arm.}'-  ;  and  there  were  new  festivities  and  new  orgies,  the 
murniur  of  which  rolled  mournfully  over  Camdless  Bay. 

When  James^Burbank  returned,  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  from  liis  exploration  of  the  left  bank  of  the  river, 
he  had  ascertained  the  following  facts. 

A  native  of  Putnam  county  fancied  he  had  discovered 
some  trace  of  the  abduction  on  an  island  of  the  St.  John's 
a  few  miles  above  Black  Creek,  During  the  preceding 
night  this  man  thought  he  had  heard  a  cry  of  despair,  and 
had  come  to  report  the  fact  to  James  Burbank.  Squambo, 
the  Indian,  Texar's  confidant,  had  been  seen  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood in  his  skiff.  There  was  no  doubt  about  the 
Indian's  being  seen,  for  the  fact  was  confirmed  by  a  pas- 
senger on  board  the  Shannon,  who,  on  his  return  to  St. 
Augustine,  had  landed  during  the  day  at  Camdless  Bay. 

It  need  not  be  said  how  eagerly  James  Burbank  started 
on  the  track.  Carrol  and  two  negroes  accompanied  him 
in  the  boat  with  which  he  started  up  the  river.  They 
speedily  reached  the  island  in  question^  thoroughly  searched 
it,  and  visited  a  few  fishermen's  huts  that  did  not  seem  to 
have  been  recently  occupied.  Among  the  almost  impene- 
trable underwood  in  the  interior  there  was  not  a  vestige  of 
tiuman  beings.  There  was  nothing  on  the  bank  to  show 
that  a  boat  had  put  in.  Squambo  could  nowhere  be  seen, 
and  if  he  had  been  prowing  round  the  island  he  haa 
probably  not  landed.  The  expedition  was  thus  without 
jresult,  like  the  others.  The  return  had  to  be  made  to  the 
plantation  \  t;h  the  knowledge  that  a  false  track  had  been 
*ollo\ved.~  In  the  evening,  Burbank,  Stannard,  and  Carrol, 
is  tkdy  were  together  in  the  hall,  talked  over  this  useless 
earch.  About  nine  o'clock,  Alice,  having  left  Mrs.  Bur- 
Dank  asleep,  came  to  join  them,  and  found  that  the  last 
ittempt  had  been  without  result. 

The  night  was  to  be  a  dark  one.     The  moon,  in  its  first 

quarter,  had  already  disappeared  below  the  horizon.     A 

deep  silence  enveloped  Castle  House,  the  plantation,  and 

he   river.     The  few  blacks  in  the   servants'   apartments 

ere  a^^leep.     When  the  silence  was  troubled  it  was  by 

e  distant  clamour  and  the  reports  of  the  fireworks   it 

8 


130  NORTH  AND  SOUtti. 

Jacksonville,  where,  with  great  uproar,  the  people  were 
celebrating  the  successes  of  the  Confederates. 

Each  time  the  noise  was  heard  in  the  hall  another  blow 
was  struck  at  the  Burbanks. 

"  We  ought  to  find  out  what  it  means,"  said  Carrol,  "  and 
see  if  the  Federals  really  have  renounced  their  plans  on 
Florida." 

"  Yes  !  It  must  be  done,"  answered  Stannard.  "  We 
cannot  exist  in  this  uncertainty.'^ 

"  Well,"  said  Burbank,  "  I  will  go  to  Fernandina  to- 
morrow— and  then  I  will  see — "  I 

At  this  moment  there  came  a  gentle  tap  on  the  fronts 
door  of  Castle  House,  on  the  side  facing  the  river.  ]i 

A  scream  escaped  from  Alice,  who  rushed  to  the  door.j 
Burbank  vainly  tried  to  keep  the  girl  back.  And  as  noj 
reply  had  come,  another  knock  was  heard,  this  time  morej: 
distinctly.  ! 


A  FEW   HOURS,  13 1 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  FEW   HOURS. 

AMES  BURBANK  stepped  to  the  door.  He  did  not  expect 
nybody.  It  might  be  some  important  news  from  Jack- 
onville  brought  by  John  Bruce  from  his  correspondent, 
Ar.  Harvey. 

A  third  time  there  came  a  knock,  and  from  a  more  im- 
latient  hand. 

"  Who  is  there  ? "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  I  am,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Gilbert ! "  exclaimed  Alice. 

She  was  not  mistaken,  Gilbert  at  Camdless  Bay  !  Gil- 
lert  appearing  among  his  people,  glad  to  come  and  pass  a 
sw  hours  with  them,  knowing  nothing,  doubtless,  of  the 
lisasters  that  had  fallen  on  them ! 

In  a  moment  the  young  lieutenant  was  in  his  father's 
rms ;  while  the  man  who  accompanied  him  carefully  shut 
he  door,  after  taking  a  last  look  round  outside. 

It  was  Mars,  Zermah's  husband,  Gilbert  Burbank's 
[evoted  follower. 

After  embracing  his  father,  Gilbert  turned  round.  Then, 
eeing  Alice,  he  took  her  hand  and  clasped  it  with,  an 
rresistible  movement  of  affection. 

"  My  mother  ! "  he  said.  "  Where  is  mother  ?  Is  it  true 
hat  she  is  dying  ? " 

"  You  know  all,  then  .? "  said  j  ames  Burbank, 

"  I  know  all :  the  plantation  laid  waste  by  the  Jackson- 
'ille  ruffians,  the  attack  on  Castle  House,  my  mother — 
lead  perhaps ! " 

The  young  man's  presence  in  the  county  where  he  ran 
uch  peril  was  immediately  explained. 


132  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

This  is  what  had  happened  : 

That  evening,  some  gunboats  from  Commodore  Dupont's  jcc: 
squadron    had   come   to    the    mouth    of    the   St.   John's. 
Ascending  the  river,  they  had  had  to  stop  at  the  bar,  four 
miles   below   Jacksonville.      A    few   hours    later,  a  man, 
calling   himself  one  of   the  lighthouse-keepers  at  Pablo, 
had   boarded   Stevens's   gunboat,    on   which    Gilbert  was 
second  in  command.     The  man  had  related  all  that  ha  1 
passed  at  Jacksonville,  including  the  attack  on  Camdless 
Bay,  the  dispersal  of  the  blacks,  and  the  serious  condition  m 
of  Mrs.  Burbank.     It  may  be  guessed  what  were  Gilbert's  re 
feelings  on  listening    to    the    story    of   these    deplorable  ;F 
events.  jai 

Then  he  was  seized  with  an  irresistible  desire  to  see  his 
mother.  With  the  permission  of  Commandant  Stevens 
he  had  left  the  flotilla  in  the  gig.  Accompanied  by  the  '^ 
faithful  Mars,  he  passed  unnoticed  in  the  darkness — by  ^ 
the  way  he  knew  so  well — and  landed  half  a  mile  below 
Camdless  Bay,  so  as  to  avoid  touching  at  the  pier,  which 
would  probably  be  watched. 

But  what  he  did  not  know,  and  could  not  know,  was 
that  he  had  fallen  into  a  snare  spread  by  Texar.     At  an 
price  the  Spaniard  desired  to  obtain  the  proof  required  b 
the   magistrates — the  proof  that  James  Burbank  was   in 
correspondence   with   the  enemy.     To  entice  the   youn 
lieutenant  to  Camdless  Bay,  a  lighthouse-keeper  at  Pabii 
had  been  sent  to  acquaint  Gilbert  with  what  had  occurrc 
at  Castle  House,  particularly  the  condition  of  his  mothe;. 
The  young  lieutenant  had  set  out,  as  we  know;  and  he  had 
been  watched  as  he  went  up  the  river.    As  he  glided  alon^^ 
by  the  reeds  that  bordered  the  high  bank  of  the  St.  John's 
he  had,  however,  thrown  the  Spaniard's  men  off  the  track  ; 
but    though    the   spies   had   not   seen    him    land    below 
Camdless  Bay,  they  hoped  to  capture  him  on  his  return, 
particularly  as  all  that  part  of  the  river  was  under  their 
surveillance. 

"  Mother !  "  continued  Gilbert,  "  where  is  she  ? " 

"  Here,  my  son  !  "  said  Mrs.  Burbank. 

She  liad  just  appeared  on  the  landing  of  the  hall  stair- 


I  A  FEW   HOURS.  I33 

|:ase ;  she  descended  slowly,  holding  the  rail,  and  fell  on  a 
',ouch,  while  Gilbert  covered  her  with  kisses. 

In  her  troubled  sleep  she  had  heard  the  knock  at  the 
loor.  Recognizing  her  son's  voice,  she  had  collected 
sufficient  strength  to  get  up  and  meet  Gilbert,  to  weep  with 
lim  and  the  others.  The  young  man  clasped  her  in  his 
irms. 

"  Mother  !  mother!  "  said  he,  "I  see  you  again,  after  all. 
rlow  you  are  suffering  !  But  you  live  !  Ah  !  we  will  cure 
rou  !  Yes  !  These  evil  days  will  soon  end.  We  .shall  be 
■e-united — soon  !  We  will  give  you  back  your  health. 
Fear  nothing  for  me,  mother  No  one  knows  that  Mars 
ind  I  are  here."  And  as  he  spoke,  Gilbert  saw  his  mother 
vas  fainting,  and  tried  to  revive  her  by  his  caresses. 

But  Mars  seemed  to  understand  that  he  and  Gilbert  did 
lot  know  the  full  extent  of  the  calamity.  James  Burbank, 
3arrol,  and  Stannard  stood  silent  with  bowed  heads, . 
A.lice  could  not  restrain  her  tears.  Dy  was  not  there,  nor 
vas  Zermah,  who  ought  to  have  guessed  that  her  luisband 
vas  at  Camdless  Bay,  that  he  was  in  the  house,  that  he 
vas  waiting 

So,  with  his  heart  torn  by  anguish,  he  looked  into  all 
;he  corners  of  the  hall,  and  then  asked  Mr.Burbank, — 

'•  Master,  what  is  the  matter  ?  " 

At  this  moment  Gilbert  rose. 

"  And  Dy  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Has  Dy  gone  to  bed  ?  Where 
is  my  little  sister  ?  " 

"  Where  is  my  wife  ?  "  said  Mars. 

An  instant  afterwards  the  young  officer  and  Mars  knew 
ill.  In  coming  from  the  St.  John's,  from  the  place  where 
their  canoe  was  waiting  for  them,  they  had  seen  enough  in 
the  darkness  of  the  ruins  of  the  plantation.  But  they 
might  naturally  think  that,  with  the  disaster  consequent  on 
•Jie  enfranchisement  of  the  blacks,  the  limit  had  been 
reached  !  Now  nothing  was  hid  from  them.  One  did  not 
find  his  sister  at  home,  the  other  did  not  find  his  wife,  and 
no  one  could  tell  them  where  Texar  had  hidden  them  fur 
these  seven  days. 

Gilbert  returned  to  kneel  near  Mrs.  Burbank.     His  tears 


134  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

mingled  with  hers.  Mars,  with  bloodshot  face  and  panting 
chest,  walked  to  and  fro,  unable  to  contain  himself 

At  last  his  rage  exploded. 

"  I  will  kill  Texar ! "  he  said.  "  I  will  go  to  Jacksonville 
— to-morrow — this  very  night — this  very  instant " 

"Yes,  come,  Mars  !  come  !"  said  Gilbert. 

Jatoes  Burbank  stopped  them. 

"  If  that  was  what  ought  to  be  done,"  said  he,  "  I  should 
not  have  waited  for  you  to  come,  my  son  !  The  scoundrel 
would  already  have  paid  with  his  life  for  his  evil  deeds. 
But,  before  that  is  done,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  say 
what  he  alone  can  say.  And  when  I  speak  thus,  Gilbert 
— when  I  advise  you  and  Mars  to  wait — it  is  because  it  is 
necessary  to  wait." 

"  Be  it  so,  father  ! "  said  the  young  man.  "  But  at  least 
I  will  ransack  the  country  ;  I  will  search — " 

"And  do  you  think  I  have  not  done  so?  Not  a  day 
has  passed  without  our  exploring  the  river-banks  and 
islands  which  might  serve  as  a  refuge  for  Texar,  and  not  a 
trace  have  we  found,  not  a  thing  to  put  us  on  your  sister's 
track.  Carrol  and  Stannard  have  helped  me,  and  up  to 
now  our  search  has  been  fruitless." 

"  Why  did  you  not  lodge  a  complaint  at  Jacksonville  ?  " 
asked  the  young  officer.  "  Why  have  you  not  brought  an 
action  against  Texar  for  having  caused  the  pillage  of 
Camdless  Bay  and  the  abduction —  " 

"  Why  ? "  answered  James  Burbank.  '"  Because  Texar 
is  now  the  master ;  because  all  honest  men  tremble  before 
the  scoundrels  who  are  devoted  to  him ;  because  the 
pnpulace  is  with  him,  and  the  county  militia  is  with 
him." 

"  I  will  kill  Texar  !  "  said  Mars,  as  if  he  were  possessed 
by  some  fixed  idea. 

"  You  shall  kill  him  when  the  time  comes,"  said  James 
Burbank.     "  At  present  it  would  make  matters  worse." 

"  And  when  will  the  time  come  ? "  asked  Gilbert. 

"  When  the  Federals  are  masters  of  Florida — when  they 
have  occupied  Jacksonville." 

"  And  if  it  is  then  too  late  ? " 


A   FEW   HOURS.  135 

"  My  son  !  my  son  !  I  beseech  you  do  not  say  that  1 " 

exclaimed  Mrs.  Burbank. 

"  No,  Gilbert,  do  not  say  that,"  added  Alice. 

James  Burbank  took  his  son's  hand. 

"Gilbert,  listen  to  me,"  he  said.  "We,  like  yon  and 
Mars,  will  do  instant  justice  on  Texar  if  he  refuses  to  tell 
us  what  he  has  done  with  his  victims.  But  for  your 
sister's  sake,  Gilbert — for  your  wife's  sake.  Mars — our 
anger  must  give  place  to  our  prudence.  There  is  good 
reason  to  believe  that  in  Texar's  hands  Dy  and  Zermah 
are  hostages  for  his  safety.  The  scoundrel  is  afraid  of 
having  to  answer  for  turning  out  the  honest  magistrates 
of  Jacksonville  and  letting  loose  on  Camdless  Bay  the  mob 
of  scoundrels  to  burn  and  pillage  a  Northerner's  planta- 
tion. If  I  did  not  bd,ieve  this,  Gilbert,  would  I  speak  with 
such  conviction  ?     Would  I  be  strong  enough  to  wait  ? " 

"  And  would  I  still  be  alive  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Burbank. 
The  unfortunate  woman  felt  that  if  her  son  went  to  Jack- 
sonville he  would  fall  into  Texar's  power.  And  what  could 
save  an  officer  of  the  Federal  navy  fallen  into  the  power 
of  the  Southerners  when  the  Federals  were  threatening 
Florida  ? 

Nevertheless,  the  young  oflicer  was  not  master  of  himself. 
He  was  obstinate  in  his  wish  to  go ;  and,  like  Mars,  he 
repeated,  "  I  will  kill  Texar  !  " 

"  Come,  then  ! "  he  said. 

"  You  shall  not  go,  Gilbert ! " 

Mrs.  Burbank  raised  herself  from  the  sofa.  She  placed 
herself  before  the  door ;  but,  exhausted  by  the  effort,  she 
could  not  support  herself,  and  she  fainted. 

"  Mother  !  mother  !"  exclaimed  the  young  man. 

Mrs.  Burbank  had  to  be  carried  to  her  room,  where  Alice 
remained  with  her.  Then  James  Burbank  rejoined  Carrol 
and  Stannard  in  the  hall. 

Gilbert  was  sitting  on  the  sofa  with  his  face  in  his  hands. 
Mars  was  standing  apart,  and  silent. 

"Now,  Gilbert,"  said  James  Burbank,  "you  are  in  your 
right  senses.  Speak  !  On  what  you  say  depends  what  wt 
shall  do.     Our  only  hope  is  in  a  prompt  arrival  of  the 


136  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

Federals  in  the  county.  Have  they  given  up  their  project 
of  occupying  Florida  ?  " 

«  No." 

"Where  are  they?" 

*'  A  part  of  the  squadron  at  this  moment  is  on  the  way 
to  Saint  Augustine,  to  blockade  the  coast." 

"  But  is  not  the  Commodore  going  to  take  possession  of 
the  St.  John's  .?"  asked  Carrol. 

"The  lower  course  of  the  St.  John's  is  ours.  Our 
gunboats  are  anchored  in  the  river  under  the  orders  of 
Commandant  Stevens." 

"  In  the  river,  and  they  have  not  yet  endeavoured  to 
seize  on  Jacksonville  ?"  asked  Stannard. 

"  No,  for  they  have  had  to  stop  at  the  bar,  four  miles 
below  the  town." 

"The  gunboats  stopped,"  said  James  Burbank,  "and  by 
an  insurmountable  obstacle  .''  " 

"  Yes,  father,"  answered  Gilbert ;  "  stopped  by  want  of 
water.  The  tide  must  be  high  for  them  to  pass  the  bar, 
and  even  then  the  passage  would  be  difficult.  Mars  knows 
the  channel,  and  he  is  to  be  the  pilot." 

"  Waiting !  always  waiting  ! "  exclaimed  James  Burbank. 
"  And  for  how  long  ?  " 

Three  days  or  twenty-four  hours — how  long  the  time 
would  be  for  the  people  in  Castle  House  !  And  if  the 
Confederates  saw  that  they  could  not  defend  the  town  !  If 
they  abandoned  it,  as  they  had  abandoned  Fernandina, 
Fort  Clinch,  and  the  other  points  of  Georgia  and  northern 
Florida  !  l(  Texar  did  not  run  away  !  Then  where  would 
they  search  ! 

Mr.  Stannard  then  asked  if  it  was  true  that  the  Federals 
had  met  with  a  repulse  in  the  North.  What  was  thought 
of  the  defeat  at  Bentonville  ? 

"  The  victory  of  Pea  Ridge  has  enabled  Curtis  to  re- 
occupy  the  ground  he  for  a  moment  lost.  The  situation 
of  tht:  Northerners  is  excellent ;  their  success  is  assured  in 
a  delay  which  it  was  difficult  to  foresee.  When  they  have 
occupied  the  principal  points  in  Florida,  they  will  stop 
contraband  of  war  from  entering  through  the  coast  passes; 


A  FEW  HOURS.  I37 

and  arms  and  ammunition  will  no  longer  reach  the 
Confederates.  Then,  in  a  little  time,  the  territory  will 
resume  its  calm  and  security  under  the  protection  of  our 
squadron.     Yes,  in  a  few  days  !     But  now —  " 

The  idea  of  his  sister  being  exposed  to  such  peril  re- 
turned to  him  with  such  force  that  Mr.  Bu!;bank,  to  divert 
his  attention,  changed  the  conversation.  How  did  the 
belligerents  stand  ?  Could  Gilbert  give  them  any  news 
which  had  not  reached  Jacksonville  or  rather  tamdless 
Bay.? 

Several  things  he  could  tell  them,  some  of  them  of  great 
importance  for  the  Northerners  in  Florida. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  after  the  victory  of  Donelson, 
the  State  of  Tennessee  had  almost  entirely  fallen  under 
Federal  domination.  By  a  simultaneous  combined  attack 
of  army  and  fleet,  the  Federals  endeavoured  to  make 
themselves  masters  of  the  entire  course  of  the  Mississippi. 
They  had  descended  it  to  Island  lo,  where  the  troops  came 
in  contact  with  Beauregard's  division,  which  had  charg^^ 
of  the  defence  of  the  river.  Already,  on  the  24th  of 
February,  General  Pope's  brigade,  after  landing  at  Com- 
merce, on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  had  repulsed 
J.  Thomson's  corps.  Arrived  at  Island  10  and  the  village 
of  New  Madrid,  they  had,  it  is  true,  to  halt  before  a  for- 
midable system  of  redoubts  prepared  by  Beauregard. 
Since  the  fall  of  Donelson  and  Nashville,  all  the  positions 
on  the  river  above  Memphis  had  been  considered  as  lost 
to  the  Confederates,  but  those  below  could  still  be 
defended,  and  here  it  was  a  battle  would  soon  be  fought 
which  might  be  decisive. 

But  meanwhile,  Hampton  Roads,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
James  River,  had  been  the  scene  of  a  memorable  combat. 
The  battle  had  been  between  the  first  examples  of  armour- 
plated  ships,  the  employment  of  which  has  modified  the 
navies  and  naval  tactics  of  both  the  Old  and  New  World. 

On  the  1st  of  March  the  Monitor,  an  armour-plated 
vessel  built  by  the  Swedish  engineer  Ericcsen,  and  the 
Virginia,  the  old  Me7'rimac  much  altered,  had  been  ready 
to  put  to  sea,  one  at  New  York,  the  other  at  Norfolk. 

PART  I. 


138  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

At  this  time  a  Federal  division,  under  the  orders  of 
Captain  Marston,  was  at  anchor  in  Hampton  Roads,  near 
Newport  News.  This  division  was  composed  of  the 
Congress,  the  Saint  Lawrence,  the  Cumberland,  and  two 
steam  frigates. 

Suddenly,  on  the  2nd  of  March,  in  the  morning,  there 
appeared  the  Virginia,  commanded  by  the  Confederate 
Captain  Buchanan.  Followed  by  a  few  other  vessels  of 
minor  im^portance,  she  attacked  the  Congress,  and  then  the 
Cumberland,  which  latter  she  rammed  and  sank  with  a 
hundred  and  twenty  men  of  her  crew.  Returning  then  to 
the  Congress,  stranded  on  the  mud,  she  shelled  her  and  set 
her  on  fire.  Only  the  night  stopped  her  from  destroying 
the  other  three  vessels  of  the  Federal  squadron. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  the  effect  produced  by  the 
victory  of  a  small  armour-plated  ship  over  the  broadside 
ships  of  the  Union.  The  news  was  propagated  with 
marvellous  rapidity.  Great  was  the  consternation  among 
the  partizans  of  the  North,  for  the  Virginia  might  enter 
the  Hudson  and  sink  every  ship  at  New  York.  Great 
was  the  joy  of  the  Southerners,  who  saw  the  blockade 
raised  and  trade  again  untramelled  along  their  coast. 

It  was  this  naval  success  which  was  being  so  noisily 
celebrated  at  Jacksonville.  The  Confederates  now  fancied 
themselves  safe  from  the  Federal  vessels.  Following  on 
the  victory  at  Hampton  Roads,  might  not  Commodore 
Dupont's  squadron  be  immediately  recalled  to  the  Potomac 
or  the  Chesapeake  ?  No  landing  would  threaten  Florida. 
The  slavery  ideas  supported  by  the  most  violent  of  the 
Southerners  would  triumph  without  a  contest.  And  this 
would  strengthen  Texar  and  his  partizans  in  a  position  in 
which  they  could  do  so  much  evil. 

But  the  Confederates  were  in  too  great  a  hurry.  And 
the  news  already  known  in  Florida,  Gilbert  was  able  to 
supplement  with  that  which  was  current  when  he  left 
Commandant  Stevens's  gunboat. 

The  second  fight  in  Hampton  Roads  had  been  very 
different  from  the  first.  On  the  morning  of  the  9th  of 
March,  when  the   Virginia  was  preparing  to  attack  the 


A  FEW   HOURS.  139 

Minnesota,  one  of  the  two  Federal  frigates,  an  enemy 
whose  presence  was  unsuspected  by  the  Southerners 
suddenly  appeared  before  her.  A  strange  machine  came 
away  from  the  frigate's  side,  '*  a  cheese-box  on  a  raft,"  as 
the  Confederates  called  it.  This  "  cheese-box  "  was  the 
Monitor,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Warden.  He  had 
been  sent  to  destroy  the  batteries  on  the  Potomac,  but  on 
reaching  the  mouth  of  the  James  River,  had  heard  the 
firing  in  Hampton  Roads,  and  during  the  night  had 
brought  the  Monitor  on  to  the  scene. 

At  half  a  dozen  yards  from  each  other  these  two  for- 
midable engines  of  war  fought  for  four  hours,  and  then 
the  Virginia,  struck  on  the  water-line  and  in  danger  of 
sinking,  took  flight  in  the  direction  of  Norfolk.  The 
Monitor,  which  was  to  sink  nine  months  later,  had 
completely  defeiated  her  rival.  Thanks  to  her,  the 
Federal  Government  resumed  its  superiority  in  Hampton 
Roads. 

*'  No,  father,"  said  Gilbert,  as  he  ended  his  story,  "  our 
squadron  has  not  been  recalled  to  the  north.  Stevens's 
six  gunboats  are  anchored  in  the  St.  John's  in  front  of  the 
bar.  I  tell  you  that  in  three  days,  at  least,  we  shall  be 
masters  of  Jacksonville." 

"  Then  you  must  see,  Gilbert,  that  you  had  better  wait 
and  return  on  board  !  But  on  your  way  to  Camdless  Bay 
do  you  not  think  you  have  been  followed  ? " 

"  No.     Mars  and  I  have  escaped  all  observation." 

*'  And  this  man  who  told  you  what  had  passed  at  the 
plantation,  the  fire,  the  robbery,  the  illness  of  your  mother. 
Who  is  he?" 

"  He  said  he  was  one  of  the  lighthouse-keepers  at  Pablo, 
and  had  come  to  warn  Captain  Stevens  of  the  danger  run 
by  the  Northerners  in  this  part  of  Florida." 

"  Did  he  know  of  your  presence  on  board  ?  '* 

"No,  and  he  seemed  much  surprised  at  it.  But  why 
these  questions  ?  " 

"  Because  I  am  afraid  it  is  some  plot  of  Texar's.  He 
more  than  suspected — he  knew  that  you  were  in  the 
Federal  navy.     He  learnt  that  you  were  under  the  orders 


140  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

of  Commandant  Stevens.  If  he  wished  to  entice  you 
here — " 

"  Never  fear.  We  have  got  to  Cam d less  Bay  without 
being  seen  coming  up  the  river,  and  it  v.ill  be  the  same 
when  we  go  back." 

*'  If  yo'u  go  on  board — not  otherwise  !  " 

"  I  promise  you^  father,  Mars  and  I  shall  be  on  board 
before  daybreak." 

"  When  will  you  go  ?  " 

"When  the  tide  turns.  That  is  about  half-past  two 
o'clock." 

"  Who  knows  } "  said  Carrol.  "  Perhaps  the  gunboats 
will  not  stop  three  days  at  the  bar  ?" 

"  The  wind  must  freshen  to  give  enough  water  on  the 
bar,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "  May  it  blow  a  gale  !  And 
then  we  can  get  at  the  scoundrels  I     And  then — " 

"  I  will  kill  Texar,'^  said  Mars„ 

"  It  was  a  little  after  midnight.  Gilbert  and  Mars 
would  not  leave  Castle  House  for  two  hours,  waiting  for 
the  ebb  to  return  to  the  flotilla.  The  darkness  was  great, 
and  there  was  every  chance  of  their  getting  away  un- 
perceived  although  several  boats  were  on  guard  on  the 
St.  John's  below  Camdless  Bay. 

The  young  officer  went  up  to  his  mother.  He  found 
Alice  seated  at  the  bedside.  Mrs.  Burbank,  exhausted  by 
the  efforts  she  had  made,  had  fallen  into  a  deep  slumber — 
a  very  sorrowful  one  to  judge  by  the  way  she  sobbed. 

Gilbert  would  not  interfere  with  this  state  of  torpor  in 
which  there  was  more  prostration  than  sleep.  He  sat  near 
the  bed  after  Alice  had  motioned  him  not  to  speak.  There 
in  silence  they  watched  to-^iether  the  poor  woman  whom 
misfortune  had  struck  so  cruelly.  Had  they  words  in 
which  to  exchange  tl'eir  thoughts?  No!  They  felt 
the  same  suffering,  they  understood  each  other  and  said 
nothing — it  was  their  hearts  that  spoke. 

At  last  the  time  arrived  for  Gilbert  to  leave.  He  gave 
his  hand  to  Alice,  and  both  bent  over  Mrs.  Burbank,  whose 
eyes  were  half-closed  and  could  not  see  them. 

Then  Gilbert  pressed  his  lips  to  his  mother's  forehead. 


A  FEW  HOURS.  14  T 

which  the  girl  kissed  after  him.  Mrs.  Burbank  gave  a 
sorrowful  sob,  but  she  did  not  see  her  son  go,  nor  Alice 
follow  him  to  bid  him  a  last  farewell.  . 

Mars  went  out  to  see  if  the  coast  was  clear.  He  came 
back  as  Gilbert  and  Alice  entered  the  hall. 

*'  It  is  time  to  go,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  Gilbert,"  said  James  Burbank.  "  Go  !  we  shall 
meet  again  at  Jacksonville." 

"  Yes !  At  Jacksonville,  and  to-morrow  if  the  tide 
allows  k's  to  cross  the  bar.    As  for  Texar — " 

"  We  must  have  him  living !     Do  not  forget  that  I " 

"  Yes,  living  !  " 

The  young  man  embraced  his  father  and  shook  hands 
with  his  uncle  Carrol  and  Stannard. 

*'  Come,  Mars,"  said  he. 

And  following  the  right  bank  of  the  river  they  kept 
along  for  half  an  hour.  They  met  no  one.  They  reached 
the  place  where  they  had  left  the  gig,  and  embarked  in  her 
to  get  into  the  stream,  which  would  take  them  rapidly  to 
the  bar  of  the  St.  John's, 


142  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ON  THE    ST.  JOHN'S. 

They  were  alone  on  the  river.  Not  a  light  could  be  seen 
on  the  opposite  bank.  The  lights  of  Jacksonville  were 
hidden  by  the  bend  of  Camdless  Creek,  as  it  rounded 
towards  the  north  ;  but  the  reflection  mounted  on  high 
and  tinged  the  lower  bank  of  clouds. 

Although  the  night  was  dark,  the  gig  could  without 
difficulty  make  its  way  down  stream  to  the  bar.  No 
vapour,  however,  rose  from  the  waters  of  the  St.  John's, 
and  it  could  easily  be  followed  and  pursued  if  any  Con- 
federate boat  was  in  waiting  for  it,  but  this  Gilbert  and  his 
companion  had  no  reason  to  expect. 

Both  were  silent.  Instead  of  heading  down  stream  they 
would  much  rather  have  crossed  it  to  seek  out  Texar  in 
Jacksonville,  and  meet  him  face  to  face.  Then  ascending 
the  river  they  could  search  the  forest  and  the  creeks  and 
their  banks,  and  though  James  Burbank  had  failed  they 
might  succeed.  But  it  was  best  to  wait.  When  the 
Federals  were  masters  of  Florida,  Gilbert  and  Mars  could 
set  to  work  against  the  Spaniard  vvith  more  chances  of 
success.  Their  duty  now  was  to  re-join  the  flotilla  under 
Commandant  Stevens.  If  the  bar  became  practicable 
sooner  than  they  hoped,  the  young  lieutenant  ought  to  be 
at  his  post  ready  for  action,  and  Mars  should  be  at  his  post 
ready  to  pilot  the  gunboats  up  the  channel,  the  depth  of 
which,  at  every  moment  of  the  rising  tide,  was  so  well 
known  to  him. 

Mars,  seated  in  the  stern  of  the  gig,  plied  his  paddle  I 
with  vigour.     In  the  bow  Gilbert  kept  careful  watch  down 
stream,  ready  to  signal  any  danger  that  presented  itself 


OiV   THE  ST.  JOHN'S.  143 

from  boat  or  drifting  tree.  Leaving  the  right  bank 
obliquely,  they  made  for  the  middle  of  the  channel,  so  as 
to  take  advantage  of  the  full  strength  of  the  stream. 
Once  they  were  there,  Mars,  by  a  stroke  to  port  or  star- 
board, could  easily  keep  the  gig  on  its  course. 

It  would  have  been  safer  to  have  kept  along  by  the  dark 
fringe  of  trees  and  gigantic  reeds  which  bordered  the  right 
bank  of  the  St.  John's.  In  the  shadow  of  the  thick 
branches  there  was  little  risk  of  discovery.  But  a  little 
below  the  plantation  a  sharp  elbow  of  the  bank  threw  the 
current  out  to  the  other  side,  and  formed  a  wide  eddy 
which  made  the  navigation  somewhat  difficult.  Mars, 
seeing  nothing  suspicious  ahead,  steered  the  boat  out  into 
the  current,  which  was  swiftly  running  to  the  sea.  From 
the  landing-place  at  Camdless  Bay  to  the  anchorage  ot  the 
flotilla  below  the  bar,  the  distance  was  four  or  five  miles, 
and  helped  by  the  ebb  and  the  vigorous  strokes  of  the 
paddle,  this  ought  to  be  accomplished  within  a  couple  of 
hours. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  their  start,  Gilbert  and  Mars 
were  in  mid-stream,  and  approaching  Jacksonville.  It 
may  be  that  Mars  unconsciously  headed  towards  the  town, 
drawn  thither  by  some  irresistible  attraction.  Never- 
theless the  hateful  place  must  be  avoided,  for  its  neigh- 
bourhood was  probably  better  guarded  than  the  middle  of 
the  river. 

"  Starboard,  Mars,  starboard,"  said  the  young  officer. 

And  the  gig  curved  into  the  line  of  the  current  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  left  bank. 

Jacksonville  was  now  neither  dark  nor  silent.  Scores  of 
lights  were  moving  about  on  the  wliarves,  or  swaying  in  the 
boats  on  the  water.  A  few  were  gliding  along  from  point 
to  point,  as  if  an  active  guard  had  been  organized. 

At  the  same  time  songs  and  shouts  showed  that  scenes 
of  amusement  or  riot  continued  to  trouble  the  town.  Did, 
then,  Texar  and  his  partizans  believe  in  the  defeat  of  the 
Northerners  in  Virginia  and  the  possible  retreat  of  the 
flotilla  ?  Or  were  they  making  the  best  of  the  few  days 
that  were  left  to  them  in  launching  out  into  every  excess, 
10 


144  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

while  the  people  around  them  were  drunk  with  whiskey 
and  gin  ? 

The  gig  kept  on  her  course  in  mid -stream.  Gilbert  had 
good  reason  to  hope  that  he  would  be  out  of  danger  as 
soon  as  he  had  passed  Jacksonville. 

Suddenly  he  motioned  to  Mars  to  stop  paddling. 
Vv^ithin  a  mile  below  the  town  he  had  just  caught  sight  of 
a  long  line  of  black  objects  stretching  like  a  range  of  reefs 
from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other. 

It  was  a  line  of  boats  broadside  on,  and  guarding  the  St. 
John's.  Evidently,  when  the  gunboats  cleared  the  bar, 
these  would  be  powerless  to  resist  them,  and  would  have 
to  retreat,  but  if  any  Federal  boats  attempted  to  ascend 
the  river  they  might  offer  some  opjosition  to  their 
passage.  For  this  reason  they  had  been  placed  in  position 
durinf,^  the  night.  They  lay  without  moving,  kept  in 
station  either  by  their  grapnels  or  their  oars.  Although 
no  men  could  be  seen  it  was  certain  that  a  number  were 
on  board  and  well  armed. 

Gilbert,  of  course,  remarked  that  the  string  of  vessels 
had  not  barred  the  river  when  he  came  up  to  Camdless 
Bay.  The  precaution  had  been  taken  since  the  passage  of 
the  gig,  and  perhaps,  in  view  of  an  expected  attack  from 
Commandant  Stevens.  Anyhow,  the  gig  was  forced  to  leave 
the  centre  of  the  stream,  and  keep  as  close  as  possible  to 
the  right  shore,  where  it  might  pass  unperceived  among 
tlie  reeds  in  the  sliadow  of  the  trees.  This  was  the  only 
chance  of  passing  the  barrier. 

"  Mars,  mind  you  paddle  without  any  noise  until  we  are 
through  the  line,"  said  the  lieutenant. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  We  may  get  among  the  eddies,  and  if  you  want  any 
help — " 

"  I  shall  not  want  any." 

And  with  a  powerful  stroke  he  sent  the  boat  towards 
the  river  side  some  three  hundred  yards  above  the  guarded 
line.  If  she  had  not  been  sighted  as  she  crossed  the  river 
— and  she  might  have  been — she  would  certainly  be  safe 
from  discovery  under  the  dark  masses  along  its  edge,  and 


ON  THE  ST.  JOHN'S.  I45 

if  the  end  of  the  line  of  boats  did  not  extend  to  the  bank, 
it  was  pretty  certain  she  could  get  through. 

Mars  worked  her  carefully  down  in  the  darkness,  which 
the  thick  curtain  of  leafage  rendered  darker.  The  stumps 
that  here  and  there  showed  above  the  water  he  dexterous!}* 
avoided,  and  with  noiseless  strokes  headvanced,  occasionally 
crossing  an  rddy  or  a  counter  current  which,  without  some 
trouble,  it  was  not  easy  to  get  through.  Coasting  in  this 
way  quite  an  hour  would  be  lost,  though  it  would  matter 
little  if  daylight  came  before  the  voyage  ended,  as  by  that 
time  they  would  be  near  enough  to  the  gunboats  to  fear 
no  danger  from  Jacksonville. 

About  four  o'clock  the  gig  reached  the  line  of  boats. 
As  Gilbert  had  expected,  the  shallowness  of  the  river  close 
in  shore  had  caused  the  passage  near  the  edge  to  be  left 
unguarded.  A  few  hundred  feet  beyond,  a  point  jutted 
out  into  the  St.  John's,  thickly  wooded  and  crowded  with 
mangroves  and  bamboos.  This  point  on  the  up-stream 
side  was  as  dark  and  gloomy  as  could  be  wished,  but  on 
the  downstream  face  the  trees  and  shrubs  suddenly  came 
to  an  end,  and  the  shore  v^as  cut  up  into  marshes  and 
creeks,  and  lay  low  and  exposed,  with  nothing  to  cast 
a  shadow.  The  river  there  was  as  light  as  in  the 
open,  and  a  black  moving  point  like  the  gig  would  pro- 
bably be  seen  should  any  vessel  be  lying  off  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

Beyond  it  the  eddies  ended,  and  the  current  flowed 
straight  and  strong.  If  the  boat  could  double  the  point, 
she  would  soon  be  swept  down  to  the  bar,  and  thence  to 
the  anchorage. 

Cautiously  Mars  glided  by  under  the  bank.  Peering 
into  the  darkness  he  intently  watched  the  lower  course  of 
the  river.  Close  to  the  edge  as  it  was  safe  to  go,  clearing 
the  eddies  which,  as  the  point  curved  out,  grew  more 
troublesome  to  him,  he  plied  his  paddle  silently,  while 
Gilbert,  forward,  kept  a  steady  look-out  over  the  whole 
surface  of  the  St.  John's. 

Gradually  the  gig  neared  the  point.  A  few  minutes 
more  and  they  would  reach  the  end  which  ran  out  as  a  fine 


^46''  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

tongue  of  sand.  They  were  not  more  than  thirty  yards 
from  it  when  Mars  abruptly  stopped. 

"  Are  you  tired  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant.  "  Shall  I  take 
your  place  ? " 

*'  Not  a  word,  Mr.  Gilbert ! "  whispered  Mars. 

And  with  two  strong  strokes  of  the  paddle,  he  drove  the 
gig  towards  the  land  as  if  to  run  her  on  the  bank.  Then, 
instantly,  he  grasped  one  of  the  branches  hanging  over  the 
river,  and  under  it  guided  the  boat  out  of  sight.  In  an 
instant  they  were  alongside  the  root  of  one  of  the  mangrove 
trees,  and  motionless  in  darkness  so  deep  that  they  could 
not  see  each  other. 

m  ten  seconds  the  manoeuvre  was  accomplished. 

The  lieutenant  seized  his  companion's  arm,  and  was 
about  to  demand  an  explanation,  when  Mars  pointed 
through  the  foliage  and  showed  him  a  moving  object  just 
off  the  spit. 

It  was  a  boat  with  four  men  in  her  rowing  up-stream, 
and  rounding  the  point  so  as  to  skirt  the  bank  as  she 
passed. 

The  same  thought  occurred  to  Gilbert  and  Mars. 
Before  everything,  and  in  spite  of  everything,  they  must 
regain  their  ship.  If  the  gig  was  discovered  they  would 
not  hesitate  to  climb  the  bank,  run  under  the  trees,  and 
escape  along  the  riverside  to  the  bar.  There  at  daybreak, 
whether  their  signals  were  answered  by  the  nearest  of  the 
gunboats  or  they  had  to  swim  for  it,  they  would  do  all  that 
was  humanly  possible  to  get  back  to  their  duty. 

But  a  moment  afterwards  they  found  that  all  retreat  by 
land  was  cut  off. 

When  the  boat  arrived  at  some  twenty  feet  from  the  spot 
where  they  lay  hid,  a  conversation  suddenly  began  between 
the  men  in  her  and  half  a  dozen  others  who  appeared  in  the 
gloom  among  the  trees  on  the  top  of  the  bank. 

"  The  worst  is  over !  "  said  one  from  the  land. 

"  Yes,"  said  a  man  in  the  boat.  "  To  double  that  point 
against  the  tide  is  almost  as  bad  as  pulling  up  a  rapid." 

"  Are  you  going  to  anchor  here  now  that  we  have  been 
landed  on  the  point  ?  " 


ON   THE   ST.  JOHN'S.  147 

**  Yes.     We  shall  guard  the  end  of  the  barrier  better." 

"  Right.  We  will  look  after  the  bank,  and  unless  they 
take  to  the  marshes,  the  scoundrels  will  not  find  it  easy 
to  get;  by  us." 

"  Have  they  done  so,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  No  ;  they  couldn't.  They'll  try  to  get  back  on  board 
before  daylight,  and  as  they  cannot  pass  the  boat  barrier, 
they  will  make  their  attempt  along  here.  And  here  we  are 
to  stop  them." 

Few  as  were  the  phrases,  they  were  sufficient  to  explain 
what  had  happened.  The  departure  of  Gilbert  and  Mars 
had  been  observed — there  could  be  no  doubt  of  that. 
Although  they  had  managed  to  reach  Camdiess  Bay 
without  falling  aboard  of  the  boats  ordered  to  stop  them, 
now  that  the  river  was  barred,  and  their  return  waited  for, 
it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  reach  the  gun- 
boats. 

The  gig  was  fairly  caught  between  the  men  in  the  boat 
and  the  men  landed  on  the  point.  Flight  by  the  river  was 
impracticable,  and  none  the  less  so  was  it  impracticable 
along  this  narrow  bank,  with  the  St.  John's  on  one  side  and 
the  marshes  on  the  other. 

At  the  same  time  Gilbert  learnt  that  his  presence  on  the 
St.  John's  was  known  ;  and  there  could  !.^e  no  doubt  it  was 
known  that  he  and  his  companion  had  landed  at  Camdiess 
Bay,  that  one  of  them  was  James  Burbank's  son^  an  officer 
in  the  Federal  navy,  and*the  other  one  of  his  men.  The 
lieutenant  could  not  well  mistake  the  danger  that  threatened 
him  when  he  heard  the  last  words  of  the  conversation. 

"  Keep  your  eyes  open,  then,"  said  one  of  the  men  on 
the  land. 

"All  right,"  was  the  reply.  "  A  Yankee  officer  is  a  good 
prize,  particularly  when  the  officer  is  the  son  of  one  of  our 
cursed  Floridan  Federals." 

"  And  they'll  pay  well  for  him,  for  Texar  is  the  pay- 
master." 

"  We  may  not  catch  them  to-night,  for  they  may  lay  up 
in  some  of  the  creeks.  But  when  day  comes  we'll  search 
every  cranny  so  well  that  not  a  water  rat  will  escape  us." 


148  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"Don't  forget, you  are  to  take  them  alive." 

"All  right!  Remember,  if  we  get  them  on  the 
land,  we  have  to  hail  you  to  take  them  over  to  Jackson- 
ville." 

"  Unless  we  have  to  give  chase  we  shall  remain  here." 

•'  And  we  shall  stop  here  across  the  bank." 

"  Good  luck  to  you  !  You  had  better  have  spent  the 
night  in  drinks  at  Jacksonville." 

"  Yes,  if  the  rascals  outwit  us  !  But  never  fear,  to- 
morrow we  shall  take  them  to  Texar  bound  hand  and 
foot." 

The  boat  then  moved  off  some  twenty  feet,  and  then  the 
noise  of  a  chain  running  out  announced  that  she  had 
dropped  anchor.  The  men  above  spoke  no  more,  but  the 
sound  of  their  feet  was  heard  as  they  marched  to  and  fro 
on  the  fallen  leaves. 

By  the  river  as  by  the  land  flight  was  no  longer 
possible. 

So  thought  Gilbert  and  Mars.  Neither  of  them  had 
made  a  single  movement  or  uttered  a  word.  There  was 
nothing  to  betray  the  presence  of  the  gig  under  the  dark 
arbour  of  foliage — an  arbour  v^hich  was  a  prison.  To  leave 
it  was  impossible.  Supposing  that  they  were  not  dis- 
covered during  the  night,  how  could  they  escape  when  day 
appeared  ? 

The  lieutenant's  capture  not  only  meant  danger  to  his 
own  life,  but  another  attack  on  *his  father  by  Texar,  and 
proof  of  James  Burbank's  correspondence  with  the 
Federals.  When  Gilbert  was  in  Texar's  power,  the 
necessary  proof  would  be  to  hand.  And  then  what  would 
become  of  Mrs,  Burbank  ?  What  would  become  of  Dy 
and  Zermiah,  when  neither  father,  brother,  nor  husband 
could  continue  the  search  } 

In  a  moment  all  these  thoughts  presented  themselves, 
and  Gilbert  recognized  the  inevitable  consequences. 

If  they  were  taken  only  one  chance  was  left.  The 
Federals  might  seize  Jacksonville  before  Texar  could 
injure  them.    The  prisoners  might  be  given  enough  time 


ON   THE  ST.  JOHN'S.  149 

for  this  to  take  place  between  the  sentence  they  could  not 
escape  and  their  execution.  That  was  their  only  hope. 
But  how  could  they  hurry  on  the  arrival  of  Stevens  ?  How 
could  he  clear  the  bar  if  the  water  was  still  wanting  ?  How 
could  Stevens  find  his  way  through  the  windings  of  the 
channel- if  his  pilot,  Mars,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Con- 
federates .? 

Evidently,  then,  Gilbert  must  risk  even  the  impossible  to 
get  on  board  before  daylight ;  and  he  must  leave  this  place 
at  once.  But  could  he  do  so  ?  Could  not  Mars,  by 
driving  the  gig  suddenly  across  the  eddy,  get  clear  away  ? 
While  the  men  in  the  boat  were  losing  time  by  weighing 
the  grapnel  or  letting  out  chain,  could  they  not  get  by  out 
of  reach  .'* 

That  was  impossible  !  The  lieutenant  knew  it  only  too 
well.  The  paddle  was  no  match  for  four  oars.  The  gig 
would  inevitably  be  caught.  To  make  such  an  attempt 
was  to  court  certain  capture. 

What  was  then  to  be  done  ?  Was  he  to  wait  ?  Day 
would  soon  appear.  It  was  already  half-past  four  o'clock, 
and  a  few  streaks  of  the  dawn  had  risen  above  the  eastern 
horizon. 

It  was  necessary  to  do  something.  Gilbert,  bending 
towards  Mars,  spoke  to  him  in  a  whisper. 

"We  cannot  wait  much  longer.  We  are  both  armed 
with  a  revolver  and  a  cutlass.  In  the  boat  there  are  only 
four  men.  That  is  only  two  to  one ;  and  we  shall  have 
the  advantage  of  the  surprise.  You  can  send  the  gig  up 
to  the  boat  in  a  stroke  or  two;  she  is  anchored  and  cannot 
stop  our  boarding.  We  will  fall  on  the  men  and  settle 
them  before  they  have  time  to  recognize  us,  and  we  can 
make  a  dash  for  it.  Before  the  fellows  on  the  bank  have 
given  the  alarm  we.  may  have  got  through  the  barrier  and 
reached  the  ships.     Do  you  understand  ? " 

Mars  replied  by  drawing  his  cutlass  and  slipping  it  into 
his  belt  near  his  revolver.  Then  he  slacked  off  the  painter 
of  the  gig  from  the  mangrove  root  and  grasped  his  paddlo 
ready  for  a  vigorous  stroke, 


»5o 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH, 


Bnt  as  he  stooped  to  begin  Gilbert  stopped  him  with  a 
gesture. 

Something  had  come  unexpectedly  to  alter  his  plans. 

With  the  first  streaks  of  the  day,  a  thick  mist  began  to 
rise  on  the  water.  Like  a  humid  pile  of  cotton-wool  it 
rolled  along  the  river  waves,  clinging  to  them  as  it  came. 
Formed  over  the  sea,  such  vapours  enter  the  estuary,  and 
driven  before  a  gentle  breeze,  ascend  the  course  of  the  St. 
John's.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  Jacksonville,  on 
the  left  bank,  and  the  trees  on  the  right  bank  had  disap- 
peared, wrapped  in  the  yellowish  mist  whose  character- 
istic odour  filled  the  valley. 

Did  not  this  offer  a  means  of  safety?  Instead  of  engag- 
ing in  an  unequal  struggle  in  which  they  might  both  fall, 
why  should  they  not  try  to  get  by  in  the  fog  ? 

Gilbert  saw  this,  and  that  is  why  he  stopped  Mars 
from  beginning  his  stroke.  Now,  instead  of  dashing 
out,  he  was  to  slip  along  cautiously  and  silently,  and 
avoid  the  boat,  which  slowly  vanished  as  the  mist  closed 
round  it. 

Then  the  voices  were  again  heard  replying  to  the  bank 
from  the  river. 

"  Look  out  in  the  fog." 

'*  Yes.  We  are  getting  in  the  anchor,  and  coming  closer 
in  shore." 

"  All  right.  But  don't  break  your  communication  with 
the  line.  If  they  come  near  you,  keep  them  back  till  the 
fog  lifts." 

"  Yes  !  Never  fear  ;  you  see  that  the  beggars  don't  get 
past  you  ashore." 

Evidently  the  orders  were  obeyed.  There  were  certain 
boats  crossing  the  river  from  one  bank  to  the  other,  that 
also  was  obvious.  But  Gilbert  did  not  hesitate.  The  gig, 
paddled  noiselessly  by  Mars,  glided  out  from  her  shelter 
under  the  trees,  and  crossed  the  eddy  in  which  the  boat 
had  been  anchored. 

The  fog  seemed  to  thicken,  although  it  was  penetrated 
by  a  dim  light  such  as  is  given  by  a  horn  lantern.'  Nothing 


ON  THE  ST.  JOHN'S.  151 

could  be  seen  a  yard  or  two  away.  If  the  gig  passed  dear 
of  the  boat,  there  was  an  excellent  chance  of  her  escaping 
unobserved.  And  it  was  not  difficult  to  avoid  the  boat, 
for  the  men  in  weighing  the  anchor  made  enough  noise 
with  the  chain  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  their  exact  posi- 
tion. 

The  gig  slipped  by  unnoticed,  and  Mars  could  ply  his 
paddle  a  little  more  vigorously. 

The  difficulty  was  to  keep  a  proper  course  without 
running  out  into  midstream.  If  possible  he  would  have 
remained  at  a  little  distance  from  the  right  bank  ;  but  the 
only  guide  was  the  lapping  of  the  water  on  the  shore.  The 
day  was  breaking,  and  the  light  flooded  the  mass  of  vapour 
although  the  fog  was  very  thick. 

For  half  an  hour  the  gig,  so  to  speak,  wandered  about  at 
a  venture.  Sometimes  a  vague  outline  unexpectedly  ap- 
peared, which  might  be  a  boat  much  magnified  by  refrac- 
tion— an  instance  of  a  phenomenon  commonly  observed  in 
sea  fogs. 

In  fact  every  object  appeared  with  quite  fantastic  sudden- 
ness, and  seemed  to  be  of  enormous  dimensions.  Luckily 
what  Gilbert  took  for  a  boat  would  be  only  a  buoy,  or  rock 
above  water,  or  a  pole  with  its  upper  end  vanishing  in  the 
mist. 

A  few  pairs  of  birds  flew  by  with  measured  flap  of  wing. 
They  could  scarcely  see  them,  but  they  heard  their  piercing 
cry.  Some  came  flying  along  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
turned  to  flight  when  the  gig  approached  them.  They 
vanished,  but  it  was  impossible  to  say  if  they  flew  to  the 
bank  or  dived  into  the  water. 

From  their  paddling  all  the  time  with  the  stream  Gilbert 
knew  that  he  must  be  nearing  the  anchorage  of  the  gun- 
boats ;  but  as  the  ebb  had  slackened  he  could  not  say  if  he 
had  passed  the  line,  and  he  was  in  constant  expectation  of 
running  aboard  one  of  the  boats. 

All  chance  of  serious  danger  was  not  over.  And  it  soon 
became  evident  that  the  danger  was  greater  than  ever.  At 
short  intervals  Mars  had  to  stop  and  hold  the  oaddle  out 

PART  I, 


152  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

of  the  water.  The  noise  of  oars,  sometimes  far  off,  some- 
times close  by,  would  make  itself  heard.  Shouts  would  be 
exchanged  between  the  boats.  Vague  masses  would  loom 
and  vanish  in  the  fog,  and  these  were  evidently  the  guard 
boats  it  was  their  oljject  to  avoid.  Sometimes  the  mist 
would  suddenly  open  as  if  a  puff  of  wind  had  penetrated 
it.  The  range  of  vision  would  increase  to  a  hundred  yards 
and  more,  and  Gilbert  and  Mars  would  try  to  make  out 
their  whereabouts ;  and  then  the  mist  would  thicken 
again,  and  all  they  could  do  was  to  drop  down  with  the 
stream. 

It  was  a  little  past  five  o'clock.  Gilbert  calculated  that 
he  was  two  miles  from  the  anchorage.  As  a  fact,  he  had 
not  yet  reached  the  bar  of  the  river,  which  would  be  easily 
recognizable  by  the  increase  in  the  sound  of  the  stream, 
and  by  the  numerous  minor  currents  intermingling  tumul- 
tuously  in  a  way  no  sailor  could  mistake.  Had  he  crossed 
the  bar,  Gilbert  would  have  thought  himself  safe.  It  was 
not  likely  that  the  boats  would  venture  so  far  from  Jack- 
sonville under  the  fire  of  the  gunboats. 

Gilbert  and  Mars  bent  over  almost  to  the  level  of  the 
water  and  listened.  They  could  hear  nothing.  Perhaps 
they  had  gone  astray  to  the  right  or  left  of  the  river  ?  Had 
they  not  better  take  an  oblique  course  so  as  to  reach  one 
of  the  banks,  and  wait  till  the  fog  grew  lighter  to  get 
their  proper  bearings  ? 

This  seemed  the  best  thing  to  do  now  that  the  mist  had 
begun  to  rise.  The  sun,  which  they  knew  was  now  up 
was  lifting  the  fog  as  it  wanned  it.  The  surface  of  the  St. 
John's  would  soon  come  into  view  for  some  distance  round 
before  the  sky  would  show  itself.  Then  the  curtain  would 
suddenly  collapse,  and  the  horizon  appear  out  of  the  mist. 
A  mile  perhaps  below  the  bar  Gilbert  would  see  the  gun- 
boats swinging  to  the  ebb,  and  he  would  be  able  to  reach 
them. 

At  this  moment  a  sound  of  waters  rushing  together  was 
heard.  Almost  immediately  the  gig  began  to  turn  as  if 
caught  in  a  whirlpool.     There  could  be  no  mistake. 


ON  THE  ST.  JOHN'S.  153 

"  The  bar  ! "  exclaimed  Gilbert. 

"  Yes  ;  the  bar  !  "  said  Mars  ;  "  and  once  we  are  over  it 
e  shall  be  at  the  anchorage." 

Mars  seized  the  paddle,  and  endeavoured  to  keep  the 
■oper  course. 

Suddenly  Gilbert  stopped  him.  The  mist  had  opened 
r  a  moment,  and  he  caught  sic^ht  of  a  bc«at  close  behind 
lem.  Had  her  men  seen  them  ?  Were  they  trying  to 
op  the  way  ^ 

"  Port ! "  said  the  ypung  lieutenant. 

In  went  the  paddle,  and  in  a  few  strokes  the  gig  was  out 

the  line. 

But  again  voices  were  heard.     They  were  hailinc;^  noisily. 

wa?  evident  that  in  this  part  of  the  river  many  boats 
ere  oa  guard. 

Suddenly,  as  if  a  powerful  gust  had  cleared  the  space,  the 
ist  fell  shattered  on  the  surface  of  the  St.  John's. 

Gilbert  could  not  restrain  a  shout  of  alarm. 

The  gig  was  in  the  centre  of  a  dozen  boats.  They  were 
1  the  watch  at  this  part  of  the  winding  channel  which  the 
ir  cut  across  in  a  long  slanting  line. 

"  There  they  are !     There  they  are ! "  came  from  the 

ats  around  them. 

"  Yes  !  here  we  are,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "  Take  your 
itlass  and  revolver,  Mars,  and  we  will  defend  our- 
Ives." 

Defend  themselves  !     Two  against  thirty  ! 

In  a  moment  three  or  four  of  the  boats  were  alongside, 
ars  and  Gilbert  fired  their  revolvers ;  the  others  did  not 
e,  for  the  prisoners  were  to  be  taken  alive.     Three  or  four 

the  sailors  were  killed  or  wounded.  But  in  this  unequal 
rife,  how  could  Gilbert  and  his  companion  fail  to  be 
.'erpowered  ? 

The  lieutenant  was  throttled  in  spite  of  his  energetic 
sistance,  and  dragged  on  to  one  of  the  boats. 

"Escape,  Marsl  escape!"  he  shouted  for  the  last 
me. 

With  a  sweep  of  his  cutlas'^  Mars  released  himself  from 


154 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


the  man  who  held  him,  and  before  they  could  seize  hr 
again  he  had  thrown  himself  into  the  river.  In  vain  the 
sought  to  recapture  him.  He  had  vanished  among  tl 
whirlpools  of  the  bar,  where  the  tumultuous  waters  wei 
being  lashed  into  torrents  by  the  return  of  the  risin 
tide. 


SEiiTEiiC^  *55 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SENTENCE. 


N  hour  later  Gilbert  was  landed  at  Jacksonville.  The 
Sports  of  the  revolvers  had  been  heard  up-stream, 
lid  they  mean  an  engagement  between  the  Confede- 
ae  boats  and  the  Federal  flotilla?  Was  it  not  o 
e  feared  that  the  gunboats  had  cleared  the  channel  i 
lo  wonder  that  there  v.as  serious  excitement  among 
le  townspeople !  Some  of  them  rushed  to  the  stockades 
'he  civil  authorities,  represented  by  Texar  and  the  mos 
etermined  of  his  partizans,  had  followed  them.  All 
/ere  looking  in  the  direction  of  tl.e  bar,  now  free  from 
tiist  Field-glasses  ancj  telescopes  were  in  constant 
se  But  the  distance  was  too  great— about  three  miles 
-for  them  to  ascertain  the  importance  of  the  engagc- 
nent  or  its  results.  ,  , 

The  flotilla  evidently  remained  at  the  anchorage  it  occu- 
,ied  the  night  before,  and  Jacksonville  need  not  fear  an 
mmediate  attack  from  the  gunboats.  The  people  who 
lad  most  deeply  committed  themselves  would  have  tune 
o  escape  into  the  interior  of  Florida. 

If  Texar  and  two  or  three  of  his  companions  had  more 
•eason  than  others  to  fear  for  their  safety,  there  appeared 
o  be  no  cause  for  anxiety  in  what  had  occurred  ihe 
Spaniard  suspected  that  it  meant  the  capture  of  the  gig 
that  he  wanted  at  any  cost. 

"  Yes  at  any  cost,"  said  he,  endeavouring  to  recognize 
the  boat  as  it  neared  the  quay.     "  At  any  cost  this  son  of 


156  NORTH    AND  SOUTH. 


Burbank's  must  fall  into  the  snare  I  spread  for  him.  The 
I  shall  hold  the  proof  that  James  Burbank  is  in  commun 
cation  with  the  Federals  !  And  when  I  have  shot  the  so 
twenty-four  hours  shall  not  slip  bv  before  I  have  shot  tL 
father!'^ 

Although  his  party  were  masters  of  Jacksonville,  Texa 
after  the  discharge  of  James  Burbank,  had  been  waitinjj. 
for  a  propitious  occasion  of  again  arresting  him.  Th 
opportunity  came  in  the  trap  laid  for  Gilbert  Burbanl 
With  Gilbert  identified  as  a  Federal  officer,  arrested  in  th 
enemy's  country,  condemned  as  a  spy,  the  Spaniard  coul  ' 
enjoy  his  revenge  to  the  full. 

Circumstances  served  him  well.  It  was  indeed  the  soi  ^ 
of  the  Camdless  Bay  planter  whom  tiiey  were  bringing  t(  . 
Jacksonville.  That  Gilbert  was  alone,  that  his  companioijj] 
had  been  drowned  or  saved  made  little  difference  so  lon|| 
as  the  young  officer  was  captured.  Texar  had  only  t(! 
bring  him  before  a  committee  composed  of  his  partizans 
where  he  would  preside  in  person. 

Gilbert  was  received  with  howls  and  threats  by  th«i! 
people,  who  knew  him  well.  He  treated  the  shoutij, 
with  disdain.  He  gave  no  sign  of  fear,  although  a 
detachment  of  soldiers  had  to  be  called  up  to  protect 
his  life  against  the  violence  of  the  crowd.  But  wheO' 
he  saw  Texar  he  could  not  restrain  himself,  and  wouldi 
have  throv.n  himself  on  him  had  he  not  been  stopped 
by  the  soldiers. 

Texar  did  not  move.  He  did  not  say  a  word.  He  pre- 
tended not  to  see  him,  and  allowed  him  to  be  taken  away 
with  the  most  perfect  indifference. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  Gilbert  Burbank  found  him-j 
self  in  the  Jacksonville  prison.  Theic  could  be  no  douijt 
as  to  the  fate  for  which  the  Southerners  were  keeping' 
him. 

In  about  an  hour  Mr.  Harvey,  James  Burbank's  corre- 
spondent, presented  himself  at  the  prison  and  attempted  to 
see  Gilbert.  He  was  denied  admission.  By  Texar's 
orders  the   lieutenant  was    kept  in  solitary   confinement. 


SBNT15NCB.  157 

And  the  onh-  result  of  Mr.  Harvey's  application  was  that 
he  himseif  was  put  under  strict  surveillance. 

His   connection  with    the   Burbanks    was   known,   and 
t  was   not   in   accordance   with  Texar's  plans   that  Gil- 
ert's  arrest  should  immediately  be  known  at   Camdless 
pay. 

When  the  verdict  was  given  and  the  sentence  pronounced 

t  would  be  time  enough  to  inform  James  Burbank  of  what 

ad  passed,  and  when  he  was  informed  of  it  there  would 

e  no  time  for  him  to  leave  Castle  House  and  escape  from 

"exar. 

And  so  Mr.  Harvey  was  unable  to  send  a  messenger  to 

aitidless   Bay.      An  embargo  had  been  put  on  all  the 

oats  in  the  port.     All  communication  was  shut  off  between 

the  left  and   right  banks  of  the  river.     While  his  father 

thought  he  was  safe  on  board  the  gunboat  the  lieutenant 

was  in  prison  at  Jacksonville. 

At  Castle  House  they  listened  with  anxiety  for  some 
bistant  sound  of  firing  to  announce  the  arrival  of  the 
Federals  above  the  bar.  Jacksonville  in  the  hands  of 
the  Northerners  meant  Texar  in  the  hands  of  James 
Burbank. 

Not  a  sound  was  heard  from  downstream.  Overseer 
Perry,  who  v/ent  out  to  explore  the  St.  John's  up  to  the 
ine  of  boats,  Pyg  and  one  of  the  assistant-overseers  sent 
three  miles  down  the  riverside  beyond  the  plantation,  came 
Dack  with  the  same  report.  The  flotilla  was  still  at  the 
inchorage,  and  there  was  no  sign  of  preparation  to  start 
'or  Jacksonville. 

And  besides,  how  could  they  cross  the  bar  ?  Admitting 
:hat  the  tide  rendered  it  practicable  sooner  than  they 
loped,  how  could  they  venture  along  the  intricate  channel 
low  that  the  only  pilot  who  knew  the  soundings  was  no 
on ger  with  them  ?  For  Mars  had  not  reappeared.  And  if 
J^aines  Burbank  had  known  what  had  passed  alter  the  cap- 
;ure  of  the  gig,  would  he  not  have  beheved  that  his  son's 
;ompanion  had  perished  in  the  whirlpools  .-'  And  if  Mars 
lad    been  saved,  would   not  his  first  care   have    been   to 


158  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

return  to  Camdless  Bay  as  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
return  on  board  ? 

Mars  had  not  appeared  at  the  plantation. 

Next  day,  the  nth  of  March,  about  eleven  o'clock,  th." 
committee  assembled,  with  Texar  as  preside-it,  in  the  very 
Court  of  Justice  where  the  Spaniard  had  made  his  chart' e 
against  James  Burbank.  This  time,  the  charges  against 
the  younLf  officer  were  too  serious  to  allow  of  his  escap 
He  was  doomed  beforehand.  Once  this  busii:css  of  tiu: 
son  was  settled,  Texar  could  devote  himself  to  the  father. 
With  little  Dy  in  his  power,  Mrs.  Burbank  would  succumb 
to  the  successive  blows  he  had  dealt  her,  and  he  wouitl 
be  avenged.  Did  it  not  seem  as  though  every  thin  .f 
played  into  his  hands  to  help  him  gratify  his  implacable 
hatred  ? 

Gilbert  was  brought  from  his  prison.  The  crowd  ac- 
companied him,  groaning  and  yelling  as  on  the  previous 
evening.  When  he  entered  the  court,  where  Texar's 
partizans  were  already  in  force,  he  was  saluted  with  violent 
uproar. 

"  Death  to  the  spy  !      Death  I " 

Gilbert  took  it  all  very  coolly,  and  even  in  the  Spaniard's 
presence  kept  himself  well  under  control. 

"Your  name  is  Gilbert  Burba  .k,"  said  Texar.  "And 
you  are  an  officer  in  the  Federal  Navy  ? " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  are  now  a  lieutenant  on  board  one  of  the 
gunboats  under  Commandant  Stevens  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  You  are  the  son  of  James  Burbank,  a  Northerner,  the 
owner  of  the  plantation  at  Camdless  Bay  ? " 

"  Yes." 

"  You  admit  that  you  left  the  flotilla  anchored  below  the 
bar,  during  the  night  of  the  loth  of  March  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  You  admit  that  you  were  captured  a.9  you  were  trying, 
to  regain  the  flotilla  with  one  of  your  men  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


SEI^ITENCE.  159 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  your  business  was  on  the  St. 
John's  ? " 

"  A  man  came  on  board  the  gunboat  of  which  I  wivs 
second  in  command,  and  told  me  that  my  father's  plantation 
had  been  devast<-ted  by  a  horde  of  scoundrels,  that  Castle 
House  had  been  bes;eged  by  thieves.  I  need  not  tell  that 
to  the  President  of  this  Committee,  who  is  personally 
responsible  for  these  crimes." 

"  I  tell  Gilbert  Burbank."  said  Texar,  "  that  his  father 
had  challenged  public  opinion  by  freeing  his  slaves,  that 
an  order  had  been  issued  commanding  the  newly  freed 
slaves  to  disperse,  that  this  order  was  executed — " 

"  With  pillage  and  incendiarism,"  replied  Gilbert,  "  and 
rape,  of  which  Texar  is  personally  the  author." 

"  When  I  am  before  my  judges  I  will  reply,"  said  the 
Spaniard  coldly.  "Gilbert  Burbank,  do  not' attempt  to 
change  our  positions.  You  are  the  accused,  not  the 
accuser," 

"  Yes,  the  accused — at  this  moment,  at  all  events,  but 
the  Federal  gunboats  have  only  the  bar  of  the  St.  John's 
between  them  and  Jacksonville,  and  then — " 

Then  the  uproar  broke  out  against  the  young  officer, 
who  dared  to  brave  the  Southerners  to  their  face. 

"  Dea^h  !     Death  !  "  shouted  the  crowd  on  all  sides. 

The  Spaniard  with  difficulty  quieted  the  angry  crowd. 
Then  he  resumed  his  questions. 

"  Will  you  tell  us,  Gilbert  Burbank,  why  you  left  your 
ship  last  night  ? " 

"  To  see  my  dying  mother." 

"You  admit,  then,  that  you  landed  at  Camdless 
Bay  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  reason  to  hide  it." 

"  And  only  to  see  your  mother  ?  " 

«  Only." 

"We  have  reason  to  believe  you  had  another  ob- 
ject ?  " 

"What?" 

*'  To  communicate  with  your  father,  James  Burbank,  wh( 
11 


i6o  NORTH  ASD  SOUTO. 


has  been  under  sa^kion  for  some  time  of  being  in  corre- 
spondence with  the  Federal  savoy." 

*  You  know  that  is  not  trae,"  repfied  GObert  with  vary 
natma]  indignation.  "  If  1  came  to  CstmAAf^  Bay,  it  vas 
not  as  an  officer,  bat  as  a  son/* 

"Or  a  spy?"  said  Texar. 

The  shoots  began  again. 

"  Death  to  the  spy !    Death!* 

Gilbert  saw  that  he  was  lost,  and  what  was  a  tenible 
blow  to  him,  that  his  &ther  was  lost  with  him. 

^'  Yes/'  said  Texar,  "  the  iUness  of  yoor  mother  was  only 
a  pretext !  Yoo  came  as  a  spy  to  Camdlefss  Bay  to  report 
to  the  Fedetals  thestateofthe  defences  of  the  St.  John's." 

Gilbert  mat. 

"  I  came  to  see  my  dying  mother,  as  yoo  know  wdL 
Never  should  I  have  believed  that  in  a  civilized  ooontry 
there  ooolld  be  jodges  who  would  ocmsuler  it  a  crime  for  a 
saikir  to  come  to  his  mothei^s  deathbed,  even  ia  the 
eaiem/s  territofy !  Let  him  who  blames  me  and  woald 
not  do  likewise,  dare  to  tell  me  so!* 

Men  in  whom  hatred  had  not  extii^nislied  all  foeBag, 
woaM  have  applauded  a  declaxation  so  noble  and  fiank. 
Bat  thK  was  not  the  case  here. 

The  dedaration  wa«  received  with  renewed  uproar ; 
and  when  the  Spaniaid  remarked  that  in  receiving 
333  officer  of  the  enemy  in  time  of  war,  James  Bur- 
bank  was  as  guilty  as  the  ofiBoer,  his  stalfiinrtit  was  loudly 
applauded. 

llien  the  CCMnmxtlBe;  mating  a  l^ni1l>nl^fiva<^lnw^anwffa5 

to  the  &ther,  condemned  Lietrtenant  Gilbext  Burfaank;  of 
the  Federal  navy,  to  death. 

Tl^  doomed  man  was  dien  taken  back  to  prison  amid 
the  shouts  <d  the  populace;  who  followed  him  withcrie 
of— 

"Death  to  the  spy!  Death!" 

That  evening  a  tit*st4»ntfnt  of  tihe  Jarlrcnawirill^  twiltHa 
arrived  at  Camdk'ss  B^.  The  officer  io  command  asked 
for  Mr.  Boitaaic. 


SENTENCE.  i6i 

James  Burbank  came  forward  to  meet  him,  accompanied 
by  Edward  Carrol  and  Walter  Stannard. 

"What  is  it  they  want? "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  Read  that  order  !  "  answered  the  officer. 

The  order  was  to  arrest  James  Burbank,  as  the  accom- 
plice of  Gilbert  Burbank,  condemned  to  death  as  a  spy  by 
the  Committee  of  Jacksonville,  and  who  was  to  be  shot 
within  twenty-four  hours. 


END  OF  PART  I. 


TEXAR'S  REVENGE; 


li^orth  Against  South. 

iNORD  (JONTBE  SUD.) 


PART  II. 

TEXAR,  THE  SOUTHERNER. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
After  the  Capture .;       .       .  167 

CHAPTER  II. 
A  STRANGE  Operation      .       .       o 176 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Day  before 186 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  Gale  from  the  North-east       .       .       .       ,       .       .196 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Prisoner 296 

CHAPTER  VI. 
St.  Augustink 217 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Last  Words  and  a  last  Sigh 230 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
From  Camdless  Bay  to  Lake  Washington.       .       .       .  240 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  great  Cypress  Forest »  25c 

CHAPTER  X, 
A  Meeting «  258 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XI. 
The  Everglades ^O- 

CHAPTER  XII. 
What  Zermah  overheard .276 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  DOUBLE  Life 285 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


Zermah  at  Work 


CHAPTER  XV 
The  two  Brothers  .... 


291 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

COXCLUSION 306 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 


?art  M. 

TEXAR  THE  SOUTHERNER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AFTER  THE  CAPTURE. 


"  TeXAR  '  "—such  was  the  well-hated  name  that  Zermah 
had  shouted  into  the  darkness  at  the  moment  Mrs.  Burbank 
and  Alice  reached  the  bank  of  Marine  Creek.  The  sni 
had  recognized  the  Spaniard.  There  could  be  no  douot 
he  was  the  author  of  the  abduction,  of  which  he  now  took 
personal  charge.  i.  ir       j 

It  was  indeed  Texar,  and  with  him  were  half  a  dozen 

accomplices.  ,        .         .  .  j-4.:^^ 

For  some  time  he  had  been  plannmg  this  expedition, 
which  had  for  its  object  the  devastation  of  Camdless  t5ay, 
the  pillage  of  Castle  House,  the  ruin  of  the  Burbank  family, 
and  the  capture  or  death  of  its  head.  It  was  with  this  in 
view  that  he  had  launched  his  horde  of  pillagers  on  to  the 
plantation.  But  he  had  not  put  himself  at  their  head  ;  he 
had  left  the  task  of  leading  them  to  a  few  of  the  most 
violent  of  his  partisans,  and  hence  John  Bruce  was  right 
when  he  assured  James  Burbank  that  Texar  was  not  among 
the  assailants.  ^  ,  i  i.  - 

Texar  was  aware  of  the  existence  of  the  tunnel  between 
Castle  House  and  the  Creek.  If  the  house  was  captured, 
the  defenders  would  evidently  try  to  escape  down  the 
tunnel.    Taking  a  boat  from  Jacksonville,  and  followed  by 


1 68  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

another  boat  with  Squambo  and  two  of  his  slaves,  he  had 
come  to  the  creek  to  watch.  He  was  not  mistaken.  That  he 
saw  at  once  when  he  found  one  of  the  Camdless  Bay  boats 
stationed  among  the  reeds.  The  blacks  in  charge  of  it 
were  surprised,  attacked,  and  strangled.  All  that  had  then 
to  be  done  was  to  wait.  Soon  Zermah  appeared,  and  with 
her  the  little  girl.  Fearing  that  help  might  come  in  answer 
to  Zermah's  shouts,  the  Spaniard  had  thrown  her  into 
Squambo's  arms ;  and  when  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  ap- 
peared on  the  bank  Zermah  was  being  carried  off  to  the 
middle  of  the  river  in  the  Indian's  boat. 

We  know  the  rest. 

When  the  prisoners  were  secured,  Texar  did  not  think 
it  necessary  to  accompany  Squambo,  who  was  entirely 
devoted  to  him,  and  knew  where  to  take  Zermah  and  Dy. 
and  when  the  three  cannon-shots  recalled  the  assailants 
from  storming  Castle  House  he  had  struck  off  obliquely 
across  the  St.  John's  and  disappeared. 

Where  had  he  gone  ?  No  one  knew.  He  did  not  return 
to  Jacksonville  during  the  night  of  the  3rd  and  4th  of 
March,  nor  for  twenty-four  hours  afterwards.  What  was 
the  meaning  of  this  strange  absence,  which  he  took  no 
trouble  to  explain  >  No  one  could  tell.  But  it  would  be 
a  somewhat  compromising  circumstance  should  he  be 
charged  with  carrying  off  Dy  and  Zermah,  The  coinci- 
dence between  the  abduction  and  his  disappearance  could 
not  but  tell  against  him.  Nevertheless,  he  did  not  return 
to  Jacksonville  till  the  morning  of  the  5th  to  take  the 
necessary  measures  for  the  defence  of  the  town — in  time 
enough,  however,  to  lay  the  snare  for  Giloert  Burbank.  and 
preside  at  the  committee  which  sentenced  the  young  officer 
to  death. 

One  thing  was  certain,  and  that  was  that  Texar  was  not 
in  the  boat  with  Squambo,  which  was  carried  off  into  the 
gloom  by  the  rising  tide. 

Zermah,  knowing  that  her  shouts  would  not  be  heard  on 
the  deserted  banks  of  the  St.  John's,  was  silent.  She  sat 
in  the  stern  with  Dy  in  her  arms.  The  child  was  quite 
frightened,  and  uttered  not  a  single  complaint     She  clung 


AFTER  THE  CAPTURE.  ^'"> 

to  the  half-breed's  breast,  and  hid  herself  in  the  folds  of  her 
mantte.    Once  or  twice  only  did  a  few  words  escape  her 

"^"■Mamma !  mamma !    Good  Zermah.  I  am  afraid !  I  am 

'''■^'^es  LrdearrSs::r"d-Ze:mah.'-we  shall  see  her. 

''TtlZlI.Z^^^Cui  Burbank  had  run  along  the 
rigtt  tank  oHhe  stream,  and  was  seeking  in  vamo  follow 

Z  daughter  as  she  was  borne  away  to  ^e  °PPOS.te  s.de^ 
The  darkness  was  then  profound.     The  hres    on  me 
estlte  had  be^n  to  subside,  but  not  without  several  explo- 
s  ons      From  the  heavy  clouds  of  smoke  in  the  north  the 

Ckfc^^n^of  ^-seL"  rSVnontrb^n^^^^^^^^^ 

''thleT;:s 'r^'ambo VoCdr  U  was  i^^portant  for 
r.7ermahtoknow      To  ask  the  Indian  would  be  useless 

many  rea;    Could  't  be  hoped  that^chance  wou,     b„        t  to 
^noltnTnie^nf  htself'^ith'^Lertaininl  where   she 

am^ihwt^^Tri^Srd-^Tad^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

1 


I70  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

indication,  and  thinking  only  of  the  danger  which  threatened 
the  girl.  Of  her  own  danger  she  never  thought ;  all  her 
fears  were  concentrated  on  the  child.  It  was  Texar  who 
had  stolen  her — of  that  there  could  be  no  doubt.  She 
had  recognized  the  Spaniard,  who  had  been  at  Marine 
Creek  either  with  the  intention  of  entering  Castle  House 
through  the  tunnel  or  waiting  for  the  defenders  when  they 
attempted  to  escape.  If  Texar  had  not  been  in  such  a 
hurry,  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  Stannard  would  now  have 
been  in  his  power.  If  he  had  not  headed  the  attack  of  the 
militia  and  rabble,  it  was  because  he  felt  surer  of  securing 
the  Burbank  family  at  Marine  Creek. 

In  any  case,  Texar  could  not  deny  that  he  had  taken  part 
in  the  seizure.  Zermah  had  shouted  his  name,  and  Mrs. 
Burbank  and  Alice  must  have  heard  her.  Later  on,  when 
the  hour  of  justice  came,  when  the  Spaniard  would 
have  to  answer  for  his  crimes,  he  would  not  on  this  occasion 
be  able  to  invoke  one  of  those  inexplicable  alibis  that  had 
hitherto  succeeded  with  him. 

What  fate  had  he  in  reserve  for  his  victims }  Was  b'^ 
going  to  banish  them  to  the  marshy  Everglades  beyr/^^ 
the  sources  of  the  St.  John's  1  Did  he  look  upon  Zerma'^''^  "° 
dangerous  witness,  whose  evidence  would  one  day  ruV*^^"  "^ 

Zermah  would  willingly  have  sacrificed  her  life  to  s  "^  "5 
child  that  had  been  carried  away  with  her.  But  if  sh  comci- 
dead,  what  would  become  of  Dy  in  the  hands  of  ^  could 
and  his  companions  ?  The  thought  was  torture  to  h  rc;turn 
she  clasped  the  girl  more  closely  to  her  heart,  as  if  Sq;  ^  .  ^ 
had  shown  some  intention  of  taking  her  away.  *"  ^'"^^ 

Zermah  noticed  that  the  boat  was  nearing  t"*^-  ^"" 
bank  of  the  river.  Would  that  give  her  any  clue  ^  officer 
for  she  did  not  know  that  the  Spaniard  lived  in 
Creek,  on  one  of  the  islets  of  the  lagoon.  Even  7^^^  "^^ 
partisans  were  ignorant  of  this,  for  no  one  had  eve'^^*^  ^"^ 
admitted  to  the  blockhouse  which  he  occupied 
Squambo  and  the  blacks.  ;^''"  °" 

It  was  to  Black  Creek  that  Squambo  was  takii'^^e  sat 
prisoners.  In  that  mysterious  place  they  would  b^  quite 
from  all  search.     The  creek  was,  so  to  speak,  impene^  clung 


AFTER  THE  CAPTURE.  171 

for  no  one  knew  the  plan  of  its  waterways.  It  offered  a 
thousand  retreats  where  prisoners  could  be  hidden  without 
it  being  possible  to  discover  any  traces  of  them.  If  James 
Burbank  tried  to  explore  its  tangled  thickets,  there  would 
be  time  enough  to  remove  the  half-breed  and  child  to  the 
south  of  the  peninsula.  There  all  chance  would  be  lost 
of  recovering  them  amid  the  vast  regions  which  the 
Floridan  pioneers  rarely  visited,  and  the  unhealthy  plains 
where  only  Indians  wandered. 

The  forty-five  miles  between  Camdless  Bay  and  Black 
Creek  were  quickly  covered.  About  eleven  o'clock  the 
boat  passed  the  bend  which  the  St.  John's  makes  two 
hundred  yards  below  the  creek.  All  that  had  to  be  done 
was  to  find  the  entrance  to  the  lagoon — not  an  easy  thing  to 
do  in  the  profound  darkness  which  enveloped  the  left  bank 
of  the  river.  Squambo,  though  well  acquainted  with  the 
place,  kept  off  the  shore  as  much  as  possible.  It  would 
have  been  easier  for  him  to  have  run  close  in,  but  the  bank 
was  cut  into  by  a  number  of  small  creeks  bristling  with 
reeds  and  other  aquatic  plants,  and  he  was  afraid  of  running 
aground.  And  as  the  tide  had  turned  he  would  be  in  a 
difficulty  were  he  to  do  so.  He  would  have  to  wait  nearly 
eleven  hours  till  the  tide  came  back^  and  how  could  he 
avoid  being  seen  during  that  time  .-*  There  were  always  a 
good  many  boats  on  the  river,  and  now  events  necessitated 
constant  communication  between  Jacksonville  and  St. 
Augustine.  If  the  members  of  the  Burbank  family  had 
not  perished  in  the  attack  on  Castle  House  they  would  be 
sure  to  begin  an  active  search  in  the  morning,  and  Squambo 
stuck  on  a  shoal  at  the  foot  of  the  bank  would  inevitably 
be  seen.  It  would  be  a  dangerous  position,  and  for 
many  reasons  it  was  better  for  him  to  remain  in  the  stream, 
even,  if  necessary,  to  anchor  and  wait  for  the  dawn,  when 
he  could  be  sure  of  his  road. 

Suddenly  he  heard  a  noise  approaching  him.  It  was 
the  sound  of  paddle-wheels.  And  almost  immediately  a 
moving  mass  appeared  round  the  bend  of  the  left  bank. 

A  steamboat  was  advancing  at  half-speed.  In  less  than 
a  minute  it  would  be  upon  them. 


172  NORTH  AND  SOUTH.      . 

By  a  gesture  Squambo  stopped  his  men,  and  with  a 
movement  of  the  rudder  turned  the  boat's  head  towards 
the  right  bank  so  as  to  avoid  being  seen. 

But  the  boat  had  been  sighted  by  the  look-out  on  board, 
and  she  was  hailed  from  the  steamer. 

Squambo  muttered  a  terrible  oath.     But  he  had  to  obey. 

A  moment  afterwards  he  ran  alongside  the  steamer, 
which  had  stopped  to  wait  for  him. 

Zermah  at  once  rose  from  her  seat.  Here  was  a  chance 
of  safety.  Could  she  not  appeal  for  help,  make  herself 
known,  and  escape  from  Squambo  ? 

The  Indian  rose  at  the  same  moment,  bowie-knife  in 
hand.  With  the  other  hand  he  caught  hold  of  Dy,  whom 
Zermah  in  vain  tried  to  snatch  from  him. 

"  One  word,"  he  said,  "  and  I  will  kill  her !  " 

If  it  had  been  her  own  life  that  was  threatened,  Zermah 
would  not  have  hesitated.  But  as  it  was  the  child's,  she 
was  silent. 

From  the  deck  of  the  steamer  nothing  could  be  seen  of 
what  was  taking  place  in  the  boat. 

The  steamer  was  coming  from  Picolata,  where  she  had 
embarked  a  detachment  of  militia  for  Jacksonville,  to  rein- 
force the  Southern  troops  defending  the  mouth  of  the 
river. 

An  officer  leaning  over  the  bridge  spoke  to  the  Indian  : 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  ? " 

"  Picolata." 

Zermah  took  note  of  the  name,  although  she  knew  that 
Squambo  wished  to  keep  secret  his  real  destination. 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  ? " 

"Jacksonville." 

"  Any  news  there  ? " 

"  No." 

"  Nothing  about  Dupont's  flotilla  ? " 

"  Nothing." 

"  No  news  since  the  attack  on  Fernandina  and  Fort 
Clinch  ? " 

"  No." 

"  No  gunboats  in  the  St.  John's  ?  " 


APTER  THE  CAPTURE, 


173 


"  None." 

"  What  was  the  meaning  of  the  lights  we  saw,  and  the 
reports  we  heard,  while  twe  were  at  anchor  waiting  for  the 
tide  to  turn  ?  " 
.    "  An  attack  on  Camdless  Bay  plantation.'* 

"  By  the  Northerners  ?  "  ^ 

"  No.  By  the  Jacksonville  Militia.  The  planter  defied 
the  orders  of  the  committee — " 

"  Right !  Right !  You  mean  James  Burbank,  the  mad 
abolitionist  ? " 

"Just  so." 

"What  was  the  result!" 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  only  saw  it  as  I  passed.  It  looked 
as  though  everything  was  in  flames." 

At  this  moment  a  feeble  cry  escaped  from  the  child's 
lips.  Zermah  put  her  hand  on  D\''s  mouth,  as  the  Indian's 
fingers  felt  for  her  neck.  The  officer  on  the  bridge  heard 
nothing. 

"  Were  the  guns  in  action  at  Camdless  Bay?" 

"  I  do  not  think  so." 

"Why  the  three  reports  which  seemed  to  come  from 
Jacksonville  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know." 

"  Is  the  St.  John's  clear  from  Picolata  to  the  bar  ?  " 

*'  Quite  clear,  and  you  need  not  trouble  yourself  about 
the  gunboats.^' 

"  All  right.     Sheer  off ! " 

An  order  was  sent  down  to  the  engine-room,  and  the 
steamer  resumed  her  way. 

"  Can  you  answer  me  a  question  ?  "  asked  Squambo. 

"  What .?  "  said  the  officer. 

"  The  night  is  very  dark.     I  hardly  know  where  I  am." 

"  Off  Black  Creek." 

"  Thank  you." 

The  paddle-wheels  churned  the  river  face,  and  gradually 
the  steamer  disappeared  in  the  night,  leaving  behind  her  a 
considerable  troubling  of  the  waters. 

Squambo,  left  alone  in  mid-stream,  sat  down  in  the 
canoe  and  gave  the  order  to  resume  paddling.     He  knew 


174  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

his  position,  and  starboarding  his  helm  headed  straight  for 
the  oijening  of  Black  Creek.  • 

That  it  was  to  this  place  of  such  difficult  access  that  the 
Indian  was  taking  theai,  Zermah  could  no  longer  doubt, 
and  little  good  did  the  knowledge  do  her.  How  could  sul- 
telf  her  nnaster,  and  how  could  he  succeed  in  searching  this 
impenetrable  labyrinth  ?  At  the  back  of  the  creek  were 
there  not  the  forests  of  Duval  county  offering  every  facility 
for  evading  pursuit,  in  case  James  Burbank  managed  to 
get  through  the  lagoon  ?  This  part  of  eastern  Florida  was 
in  those  days  a  lost  country,  in  which  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  find  a  trail.  Nor  was  it  prudent  to  venture  on 
doing  so.  The  Scminoles  wandered  about  the  forest  and 
marshlands,  and  v/ere  formidable  enemies.  They  robbed 
the  travellers  who  fell  into  their  hands,  and  massacred 
those  who  attempted  to  defend  themselves. 

A  strange  affair,  much  talked  of  at  the  time,  had  hap- 
pened in  the  upper  part  of  the  country  a  little  to  the  north- 
west of  Jacksonville. 

Twelve  Floridans  had  landed  on  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  been  surprised  by  a  tribe  of  Seminoles.  They 
had  not  been  put  to  death  because  they  had  made  no 
resistance,  wluch,  as  they  were  one  to  ten,  was  not  to  be 
thought  of.  They  were  stripped,  and  robbed  of  all  they 
possessed,  even  of  their  clothes.  They  were  forbidden,  on 
pain  of  instant  execution,  to  again  enter  the  territory,  which 
the  Indians  claimed  as  their  own  ;  and,  to  recognize'  them 
in  case  they  disobeyed  the  order,  the  chief  of  the  tribe 
availed  himself  of  a  very  simple  device.  He  tattooed  them 
on  the  arm  in  a  curious  way  with  the  juice  of  a  dye-plant 
and  a  needle-point,  so  that  they  could  not  remove  the 
m.ark.  Without  further  ill-treatment,  they  were  turned 
adrift.  They  reached  the  northern  plantations  in  a  piteous 
plight,  branded,  so  to  speak,  with  the  crest  of  the  Indian 
tribe,  and  not  at  all  anxious,  as  may  be  imagined,  to  again 
fall  into  the  hands  of  these  Seminoles,  who  would  massacre 
them  in  order  to  honour  their  signature. 

At  any  other  time  the  militia  of  Duval  county  would 
not  have  allowed  such  a  proceeding  to  pass  with  impunity. 


AFTER  THE  CAPTURE.  I75 

They  would  have  gone  off  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  But 
at  present  they  had  something  else  to  do  besides  under- 
taking an  expedition  against  the  nomads.  The  fear  of 
seeing  their  country  invaded  by  the  Northerners  over- 
shadowed everything.  Their  only  object  was  to  prevent 
the  Northerners  becoming  masters  of  the  St.  John's  and 
the  district  it  watered,  and  they  could  not  spare  a  man 
from  the  Southern  forces  at  Jacksonville  and  on  the 
Georgian  frontier.  There  would  be  time  enough  later  on 
to  take  the  field  against  the  Seminoles,  when  they  had 
been  emboldened  by  the  Civil  War  to  the  point  of  invading 
the  enemy's  territory.  Then  they  would  not  be  contented 
to  drive  them  back  into  the  Everglades,  but  would  en- 
deavour to  destroy  them  to  the  last  man. 

It  was  thus  dangerous  to  venture  into  the  territories 
of  Western  Florida ;  and,  if  James  Burbank  pushed  his 
researches  in  that  direction,  it  would  be  to  meet  with  more 
than  the  usual  dangers. 

The  boat  had  reached  the  left  bank  of  the  river. 
Squambo,  knowing  where  Black  Creek  enters  the  St.  John's, 
had  no  fear  of  grounding  on  a  shoal,  and  in  less  than  five 
minutes  he  was  under  the  branching  trees  in  darkness 
deeper  than  that  extending  over  the  river.  Accustomed 
as  he  was  to  the  navigation  of  the  network  of  the  lagoon, 
he  could  advance  without  fear,  but  as  he  could  no  longei 
be  seen,  why  should  he  not  have  more  light  on  his  path  ? 
A  resinous  branch  was  cut  from  one  of  the  trees,  and  lighted, 
and  stuck  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  so  that  its  smoky  light 
showed  the  way.  In  about  half  an  hour  Squambo  traversed 
the  meanderings  of  the  creek,  and  at  last  he  reached  the 
island  of  the  blockhouse. 

Zermah  was  there  made  to  land.  •.  Overcome  with  fatigue, 
tiie  little  girl  was  asleep  in  her  arms.  She  did  not  wake 
when  the  half-breed  entered  the  door  of  the  fortress  and 
was  shut  up  in  one  of  the  rooms  communicating  with  the 
central  redoubt. 

Dy,  wrapped  in  a  covering  which  was  dragged  from  one 
of  the  corners,  was  laid  on  a  sort  of  pallet.  Zermah 
watched  by  her  side. 

12 


176  NORTH  AND  SOUTH, 


CHAPTER    II. 

A   STRANGE  OPERATION. 

In  the  momin<:^,  at  eight  o'clock — it  was  the  3rd  of  March 
— Squambo  entered  the  room  where  Zermah  had  passed 
the  night.  He  brought  some  food — bread,  a  piece  of  cold 
venison,  fruits,  a  jug  of  strong  beer,  a  pitcher  of  water,  and 
the  different  utensils  for  ihe  table.  At  the  same  time,  one 
of  the  blacks  placed  in  one  of  the  corners  an  old  piece  of 
furniture  with  toilet  necessaries,  towels,  and  other  things 
for  the  half-breed's  own  use  and  that  of  the  little  girl. 

Dy  was  still  asleep.  By  a  gesture  Zermah  had  besought 
Squambo  not  to  wake  her. 

When  the  negro  had  gone  out,  Zermah  asked  the  Indian 
in  a  low  voice, — 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  with  us?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  said  Squambo. 

"What  orders  have  you  had  from  Texar.^" 

"Whether  they  come  from  Texar  or  from  somebody 
else  they  are  these,  and  you  would  do  well  to  conform  to 
them.  So  long  as  you  are  here,  this  room  will  be  yours, 
and  you  will  be  ke|it  in  it  during  the  night." 

"  And  during  the  day  ?  " 

"  You  can  walk  about  the  enclosure." 

"  While  we  are  here.     i3ut  where  are  we  ? " 

"Where  I  was  told  to  bring  you." 

"And  are  we  to  remain  here?" 

"  I  have  said  what  I  had  to  say,"  said  the  Indian.  "  It 
is  useless  to  ask  me  more ;  I  shall  not  answer." 

And  Squambo,  whose  manner  gave  no  hope  of  further 
conversation,  left  the  rocm. 

Zermdh  looked  at  the  girl.     A  few  tears  rose  to  her  eyes, 


A  STRANGE  OPERATION.  177 

tears  which  she  at  once  wiped  away.  It  would  never  do 
for  Dy,  when  she  awoke,  to  see  that  she  had  been  crying. 
It  was  necessary  that  the  child  should  gradually  become 
accustomed  to  her  new  position,  precarious  as  it  might  be, 
for  all  depended  on  the  Spaniard. 

Zermah  thought  over  what  had  passed  during  the  night. 
She  had  seen  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  on  the  bank  while 
the  boat  moved  away.  Their  desperate  appeals,  their 
heartrending  cries,  had  reached  her.  But  had  they  been 
able  to  get  back  to  Castle  House  along  the  tunnel,  reach 
the  besieged,  and  tell  James  Burbank  and  his  companions 
of  the  new  misfortune  that  had  fallen  on  them  ?  Had  they 
been  captured  by  the  Spaniard's  men,  dragged  far  from 
Camdless  Bay,  killed  perhaps  ?  If  so,  James  Burbank 
would  not  know  that  his  child  had  been  carried  off  with 
Zermah.  He  would  think  that  his  wife,  Alice,  his  daughter, 
and  the  half-breed  had  got  safe  away  from  Marine  Creek 
and  reached  Cedar  Rock  in  safety.  He  would  then  make 
no  immediate  seach  for  their  recovery  ! 

Supposing  that  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Alice  had  got  back  to 
Castle  House,  and  James  Burbank  knew  everything,  was 
there  not  cause  to  fear  that  the  house  had  been  entered  by 
the  assailants,  pillaged,  burnt,  destroyed  >  In  that  case, 
what  had  become  of  its  defenders  ?  If  they  had  been  made 
prisoners  or  killed  in  the  struggle,  Zermah  could  not  hope 
for  any  assistance  on  their  part.  Even  if  the  Northerners 
had  become  masters  of  the  St.  John's  she  was  lost.  Neither 
Gilbert  Burbank  nor  Mars  would  know  that  the  sister  of 
one  and  the  wife  of  the  other  were  imprisoned  in  this  islet 
in  Black  Creek. 

And  although  these  things  were  so,  and  Zermah  had 
only  herself  to  look  to,  her  energy  would  not  leave  her. 
She  would  do  all  she  could  to  save  this  child  who  had 
perhaps  only  her  in  the  world  to  look  to.  Her  life  would 
centre  in  this  idea — escape !  Not  an  hour  should  pass 
without  her  doing  something  towards  doing  so. 

But  was  it  possible  to  escape  from  the  fortress  watched 
by  Squambo  and  his  companions,  to  get  away  from  the 
ferocious  bloodhounds  that  prowled  round  the  enclosure, 


178  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

to  fly  from  this  island  lost  in  the  thousand  windings  of  the 
lagoon  ?  Yes,  it  was  possible,  but  only  on  condition  that 
she  was  secretly  helped  by  one  of  the  slaves  who  knew  the 
channels  of  Black  Creek.  Why  should  not  the  temptation 
of  a  large  reward  induce  one  of  the  men  to  help  her  in 
her  escape  ?  That  was  the  direction  in  which  she  must 
work. 

Dy  had  just  awoke.  The  first  word  she  uttered  was  a  call 
for  her  mother.  Then  she  looked  round  the  room.  The 
remembrance  of  last  night's  events  returned  to  her.  She 
saw  the  half-breed,  and  ran  to  her. 

"  Good  Zermah  !  Good  Zermah  I  "  she  murmured,  "  I 
am  afraid  1  I  am  afraid  ! " 

"  You  must  not  be  afraid,  my  dear." 

"  Where  is  mamma  ?  " 

"  She  will  come — soon.  We  have  been  obliged  to  save 
ourselves — as  you  know  !  We  are  now  in  safety.  There  is 
nothing  to  fear.  As  soon  as  they  have  helped  your  father, 
he  will  come  to  us." 

Dy  looked  at  Zermah,  as  much  as  to  say — 

"  Is  that  really  true  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Zermah,  who  wished  to  give  the  child  con- 
fidence at  any  cost.  "  Yes,  Mr.  Burbank  told  us  to  wait 
for  him  here." 

"  But  the  men  who  took  us  away  in  the  boat  ?  "  said  the 
child,  returning  to  the  charge. 

"They  are  the  servants  of  Mr.  Harvey,  my  dear.  You 
know  Mr.  Harvey,  your  father's  friend  who  lives  at  Jack- 
sonville.   We  are  in  his  cottage  at  Hampton  Red." 

"  And  mamma  and  Alice,  who  were  with  us,  why  are  they 
not  here.!*" 

"  Mr.  Burbank  called  them  back  as  they  were  going  to 
get  into  the  boat.  Do  you  not  remember  ?  As  soon  as  the 
naughty  men  have  been  hunted  from  Camdless  Bay,  they 
will  come  and  look  for  you.  See  now  !  Don't  cry  !  Don't 
be  afraid,  my  dear,  even  if  we  stay  here  for  some  days. 
We  are  well  hidden.     And  now  let  me  put  you  straight." 

Dy  kept  her  eyes  obstinately  fixed  on  Zermah,  and  not- 
vithstanding  what  she  had  been  told,  a  heavy  sigh  escaped 


A  STRANGE  OPERATION.  179 

her  lips.  She  had  not  woke  with  a  smile  as  she  usually 
did.  It  was  important  to  keep  her  busy  to  distract  her 
attention. 

And  Zermah  tried  to  do  so  with  the  most  tender  solici- 
tude. She  performed  her  toilet  with  as  much  care  as  if  the 
child  were  at  Castle  House,  and  at  the  same  time  tried  to 
amuse  her  with  her  stories.  Then  Dy  ate  a  little,  and 
Zermah  shared  her  first  breakfast  with  her, 

"  Now,  my  dear,  if  you  like,  we  will  go  out  into  the 
enclosure." 

"  Is  Mr.  Harvey's  cottage  very  nice  ?  "   asked  the  child. 

"Nice?  No!"  said  Zermah.  "  I  think  it  is  an  old  hovel. 
But  there  are  trees  and  watercourses,  and  a  place  where 
we  can  walk.  We  shall  stay  here  for  some  days,  and  if 
you  are  not  too  tired,  and  are  very  good,  mamma  will  be 
pleased." 

"  Yes,  good  Zermah,  I  will  be  good  ! "  said  the  little 
girl. 

The  door  of  the  room  was  not  locked.  Zermah  took 
the  child's  hand  and  went  out  with  her.  They  first  found 
themselves  in  the  central  redoubt  where  it  was  dark.  A 
moment  afterwards  they  were  in  full  daylight  beneath  the 
foliage  of  the  great  trees  through  which  the  sun  shot  its 
rays. 

The  enclosure  was  not  large  ;  it  was  about  an  acre  in 
extent,  and  of  this  the  blockhouse  occupied  the  greater 
portion.  The  palisade  which  surrounded  it  did  not 
allow  Zermah  to  reconnoitre  the  position  of  the  island  in 
the  lagoon.  All  she  could  see  through  the  old  gateway 
was  a  tolerably  wide  channel,  with  troubled  waters  sepa- 
rating it  from  the  neighbouring  islands.  A  woman  and  a 
child  could  not  but  find  it  difficult  to  escape.  Even  sup- 
posing Zermah  could  get  possession  of  a  boat,  how  could 
she  get  out  of  the  interminable  labyrinth  ?  She  did  not 
know  that  Texar  and  Squambo  alone  knew  the  way,  for 
the  negroes  rarely  left  the  blockhouse.  To  reach  the  St. 
John's,  or  the  marshes  to  the  west  of  the  creek,  she  would 
have  to  trust  to  chance.  And  was  not  that  running  to 
certain  destruction  ? 


jj-Q  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

During  the  next  day  or  two  Zermah,  on  thinking  matters 
over,  saw  that  no  help  could  be  hoped  from  Texar's  slaves. 
They  were  for  the  most  part  lialf-brutish  negroes  of  for- 
bidding appearance.  The  Spaniard  did  not  keep  them 
chained,  but  they  had  not  more  liberty  than  if  he  had. 
With  plenty  to  eat  grown  on  the  island,  and  addicted  to 
strong  drink,  which  Squambo  was  not  at  all  stingy  in 
giving  them,  and  specially  kept  for  defending  the  block- 
house, they  had  no  interest  in  changing  their  existence  for 
another.  The  slave  question  debated  a  few  miles  from 
Black  Creek  had  no  interest  for  them.  To  gain  their 
freedom  ?  Why  ?  And  what  would  they  do  with  it  ? 
Texar  assured  their  existence,  and  Squambo  did  not  ill- 
tr-.^at  them,  although  he  would  have  smashed  the  head  of 
the  first  man  who  advised  them  to  mutiny.  They  never 
dreamt  of  such  a  thing.  They  were,  indeed,  brutes  in- 
ferior to  the  hounds  prowling  round  the  palisade.  And 
without  exaggeration  it  could  be  said  that  the  hounds 
excelled  them  in  intelligence,  for  they  knew  all  the  ins 
and  outs  of  the  creek,  and  swam  its  multiple  passes, 
running  from  islet  to  islet,  guided  by  a  marvellous  instinct 
which  never  led  them  astray.  Often  their  bark  would  be 
heard  along  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  before  night 
they  would  come  back  to  the  blockhouse  all  by  them- 
selves. No  boat  could  enter  Black  Creek  without  being 
at  once  discovered  by  these  formidable  guardians.  Except 
Squambo  and  Texar,  no  one  would  dare  to  leave  the  for- 
tress without  running  the  risk  of  being  devoured  by  these 
savage  Carib  dogs. 

When  Zermah  saw  how  the  enclosure  was  watched, 
when  she  saw  she  could  expect  no  help  from  those  who 
guarded  her,  it  might  be  thought  that  she  gave  up  all 
thought  of  escape  in  despair.  But  she  did  not.  Help 
might  come  from  outside,  and  in  that  case  it  would  come 
from  James  Burbank,  if  he  was  free  to  act,  or  from  Mars 
when  Mars  learnt  how  his  wife  had  disappeared.  Failing 
these  she  must  depend  on  herself  for  the  child's  safety. 
And  she  would  be  equal  to  the  task. 

Isolated  in  this  lagoon,  she  saw  herself  surrounded  only 


A   STRANGE  OPERATION.  l8i 

by  brutish  men.  Sometimes  she  thought  that  one  of  the 
negroes,  who  was  still  young,  looked  at  her  with  pity, 
Was  there  any  hope  in  that  ?  Could  she  trust  him  to  tell 
her  the  way  to  Camdless  Bay,  and  help  her  to  escape  to 
Castle  House  ?  It  was  doubtful.  And  Squambo  had 
"evidently  noticed  that  the  slave  was  taking  an  interest  ir 
her,  for  now  he  was  kept  away,  and  Zermah  met  him  nc 
more  in  her  walks  about  the  enclosure. 

Several  days  passed  and  there  was  no  change  in  the 
circumstances.  From  morning  till  night  Zermah  and  Dy 
were  at  liberty  to  move  about  as  they  chose.  When  night 
came,  although  Squambo  did  not  lock  them  in  their  room, 
yet  he  did  not  allow  them  to  leave  the  central  red<.»ubt 
He  never  spoke  to  them,  and  Zermah  had  given  up  al] 
attempts  to  question  him.  Not  for  a  moment  did  he  seem 
to  leave  the  island.  She  felt  that  his  watch  over  them  was 
unceasing.  And  she  employed  herself  in  looking  aftei 
the  child,  who  constantly  asked  for  her  mother. 

"  She  will  come  ! "  Zermah  would  reply.  "  I  have  had 
news  of  her.  Your  father  will  come  too,  my  dear,  and 
with  Miss  Alice." 

And  when  she  had  said  this  she  knew  not  what  else  tc 
imagine ;  and  then  she  did  her  best  to  amuse  the  child 
who  showed  more  sense  than  could  be  expected  at  hei 
age. 

The  4th,  5th,  and  6th  of  March  went  by.  Althougl- 
Zermah  listened  for  some  distant  detonation  to  announce 
the  presence  of  the  Federal  flotilla  on  the  waters  of  the  St 
John's,  no  sound  reached  her.  All  was  silence  at  Blacl 
Creek.  It  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Florida  did  noi 
yet  belong  to  the  soldiers  of  the  North.  And  thi< 
increased  the  half-breed's  anxiety  to  the  utmost.  Failing 
James  Burbank,  she  must  trust  to  Gilbert  and  Mars.  Anc 
what  was  very  strange  was  that  the  Spaniard  had  no 
once  shown  himself  at  the  blockhouse,  either  in  the  day  01 
the  night.  At  least,  Zermah  saw  nothing  to  make  he: 
think  so.  And  she  scarcely  slept,  passing  her  long  hour; 
of  insomnia  in  listening — always  in  vain. 

What  could   she  do  if  Texar  came  to  Black   Creek 


i82  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

Would  he  listen  to  her  prayers  or  her  threats  ?  Was  not 
the  Spaniard's  presence  more  to  be  feared  than  his 
absence  ? 

It  was  the  night  of  the  6th  of  March,  and  about  eleven 
o'clock.  For  the  thousandth  time  Zermah  was  thinking  over 
these  things,  as  little  Dy  quietly  slept.  The  room  which 
served  them  for  a  cell  was  in  deep  darkness.  No  sound 
was  heard  without,  except  the  whistling  of  the  wind  along 
the  crumbling  planks  of  the  blockliouse. 

Suddenly  she  heard  some  one  walking  into  the  central 
redoubt.  At  first  she  supposed  it  was  the  Indian  going  to 
his  room  opposite  hers,  after  making  his  usual  rounti  to 
see  that  all  was  safe. 

Then  she  heard  a  few  words  spoken  by  two  voices.  She 
glided  to  the  door,  and  placed  her  ear  close  to  it,  and 
listened.  She  recognized  Squambo's  voice,  and  almost 
inimL'diately  afterwards  Texar's. 

A  shudder  seized  her.  What  did  the  Spaniard  want  at 
this  hour  ?  Was  it  some  new  scheme  against  her  and  the 
child  ?  Were  they  going  to  take  them  from  their  room, 
carry  them  to  some  more  unknown  retreat,  more  impene- 
trable than  this  of  Black  Creek  ?  In  a  moment  all  these 
suppositions  presented  themselves.  Then  her  energy  took 
the  upper  hand,  and  she  leant  against  the  door  and  lis- 
tened. 

"  Nothing  new  ? "  said  Texar. 

"  Nothing,  master,"  said  Squambo. 

"And  Zermah?" 

"  I  refused  to  answer  her  questions." 

"  Have  any  attempts  been  made  to  reach  them  from 
f  amdless  Bay  ? " 

"  Yes,  but  none  have  succeeded." 

From  this  reply  Zermah  learnt  that  people  were  search- 
ing for  them.     Who  could  they  be  ? 

"  How  do  you  know  ? " 

"  I  have  been  several  times  to  the  river-bank,"  said 
the  Indian.  "  And  a  day  or  two  ago  I  saw  a  boat  laying 
off  the  Creek.  The  two  men  in  her  landed  on  one  of  the 
islands  by  the  bank." 


A  STRANGE  OPERATION.  183 

"  Who  were  these  two  men  ?  " 

"  James  Burbank  and  Walter  Stannard." 

Zermah  could  hardly  restrain  her  emotion.  James  Bur- 
bank  and  Walter  Stannard  !  And  so  the  defenders  of 
Castle  House  had  not  perished  in  the  attack  on  the  plan- 
tation. And  if  they  had  begun  to  search,  it  was  because 
they  knew  that  she  and  the  child  had  been  carried  off. 
And  if  they  knew  that,  it  must  be  because  Mrs,  Burbank 
and  Alice  had  told  them  so.  So  that  they  were  alive,  and 
they  must  have  got  back  to  Castle  House  after  hearing 
her  last  shout  for  help  against  Texar.  James  Burbank 
thus  knew  what  had  happened.  He  knew  the  scoundrel's 
np.me.  Perhaps  he  even  suspected  where  he  had  hidden 
his  victims.     He  might  even  reach  them  ! 

This  chain  of  thought  linked  itself  together  instar.tly  in 
Zermah's  mind.  A  great  hope  took  possession  of  her — a 
hope  that  vanished  immediately  v/hen  she  heard  "the 
Spaniard  answer — 

"  Yes  !  Let  them  search,  and  they  will  never  find  them. 
In  a  few  days  we  need  have  no  fear  of  James  Burbank ! " 

What  these  words  meant  Zermah  could  not  divine  ;  but, 
coming  from  the  man  whom  Jacksonville  obeyed,  they  were 
a  formidable  menace, 

•  "  And  now,  Squambo,  I  want  you  for  an  hour,"  said  the 
Spaniard. 

"  Right." 

"  Follow  me." 

A  moment  afterwards  they  had  entered  the  Indian's 
room. 

What  were  they  doing  there.?  Was  it  some  secret  that 
Zermah  ought  to  know  ?  In  her  position  she  should  neglect 
nothing  that  might  be  of  use  to  her. 

Her  room  door,  as  we  know,  was  not  locked  during  the 
night.  The  precaution  would  have  been  useless,  as  the 
redoubt  was  locked,  and  Squambo  kept  the  key.  It  was 
impossible  to  get  out  of  the  blockhouse,  and  consequently 
to  attempt  escape. 

Zermah  could  thus  open  her  door  and  step  out.  She 
held  her  breath  as  she  did  so. 


1 84  NORTH   AND  SOUTH.  \ 

The  darkness  was  intense.  Only  a  few  streaks  of  ligj 
came  from  the  Indian's  room. 

Zermah  crept  to  tlic  door,  and  peeped  through  the  crai^ 
between  two  ulanks.  What  she  saw  was  too  strange  f  I 
her  to  understand  its  meaning. 

Although  the  room  was  lighted  only  by  the  fag-end  of 
rcbinous  torch,  the  light  was  enough   for  the  Indian,  whi| 
was  occupied  in  a  work  of  great  delicacy. 

Texar  was  seated  in  front  of  him,  with  his  leather  coa] 
thrown  back,  and  with  his  left  arm  bare  and  stretched  out  o; 
a  little  table  just  under  the  light  of  the  torch.  A  piece  c 
paper  of  curious  shnpe,  pierced  with  little  holes,  was  laic 
on  the  inner  part  of  the  fore- arm.  With  a  fine  needle 
Squambfj  pricked  the  skin  in  every  place  where  there  waj 
a  liole  in  the  paper.  The  Indian  was  tattooing,  and,  as  a 
Seminole,  he  was  an  expert  at  such  work.  He  did  it  with 
su(-h.  skill  and  lightness  of  hand  that  the  epidermis  was 
only  just  touched  by  the  needle-point,  and  the  Spaniard 
felt  not  the  least  discomfort. 

When  he  had  done,  Squambo  lifted  the  paper  ;  then, 
taking  a  few  leaves  of  a  plant  Texar  had  brought  with  him, 
he  rubbed  them  over  the  fore-arm.  The  sap  of  the  plant 
rubbed  into  the  needle  punctures  caused  a  sharp  itching, 
but  the  Spaniard  was  not  the  man  to  trouble  himself  about 
suc>i  -mall  matters. 

1  his  part  of  the  operation  over,  Squambo  held  the  torch 
close  to  the  tattooed  place.  A  reddish  design  then  ap- 
peared on  the  skin.  The  design  was  an  exact  copy  of  thit 
formed  by  the  needle-holes  in  the  paper.  It  was  a  series 
of  inter-crossed  lines,  representing  one  of  the  symbolic 
fi_:ures  of  the  Seminole  religion.  The  mark  could  neicr 
m-Tc  be  effaced  from  the  arm  on  which  Squambo  had  put  it. 

Zermah  had  seen  it  all,  and,  as  we  have  said,  could 
miderstand  nothing  of  it.  What  interest  could  Texar  iiave 
in  being  thus  tattooed  ?  Why  this  "  particular  sign,"  as 
the  passports  say  ?  Did  he  wish  to  pass  as  an  Indian  ? 
Neither  his  complexi(.<n  nor  his  features  would  admit  of 
his  doing  so.  Was  there  any  connection  between  this  mark 
and  that  which  had  been  put  on  the  Floridans  who  had 


A  STRANGE  OPERATION.  185 

en  robbed  by  the  Seminoles  ?     And,  on  account  of  it, 
s  he  going  to  prove  one  of  those  inexplicable  alibis 
ich  had  hitherto  stood  him  in  such  good  stead  ? 
Perhaps  this  was  one  of  the  secrets  of  his  life  which  the 
ture  would  reveal. 

Another  question  presented  itself  to  Zermah.     Had  not 
e  Spaniard  come  to  the  blockhouse  to  avail  himselt  of 
uambo's  cleverness  as  a  tattooer  ?     Was  he  going  back 
Jacksonville,  where  his  partisans  were  still  in  power  ? 
r  was  he  going  to  stop  at  the  blockhouse  day  after  day 
d  make  fresh  arrangements  regarding  his  prisoners  ? 
Zermah's  anxiety  was  not  of  long  duration."    She  had 
ipped  back  to  her  room  as  soon  as  the  Spaniard  rose  to 
ter  the  central  chamber.     Hidden  by  the  door,  she  heard 
he  few   words   exchanged   between   the   Indian   and  his 
laster. 
"  Watch  them  with  more  care  than  ever,"  he  said. 
"  Yes,"  replied  Squambo.    "  But  if  we  are  closely  pressed 
)y  James  Burbank — " 
"James  Burbank,  I  tell  you,  will  not  trouble  you  after 
few  days.     Besides,  you  know  where  to  take  the  half- 
3reed  and  child — where  I  shall  meet  you  again." 

"  Yes,  master,"  said  Squambo ;  "  for  we  must  provide 
igainst  Gilbert  Burbank,  or  Mars,  Zermah's  husband — " 

"  Before  forty-eight  hours  they  will  both  be  in  my  power, 
and  when  I  get  them — " 

Zermah  did  not  hear  the  end  of  the  sentence  which 
threatened  her  husband  and  Gilbert  so  seriously. 

Texar  and  Squambo  then  left  the  redoubt,  and  the  door 
shut  behind  them. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  skiff  paddled  by  the  Indian  left 
the  island,  traversed  the  sombre  sinuosities  of  the  lagoon, 
and  put  the  Spaniard  on  board  a  boat  that  was  waiting  for 
him  off  the  creek.  Squambo  and  his  master  then  sepa- 
rated, Texar  going  down  with  the  tide  to  Jacksonville. 

He  arrived  there  at  dawn,  in  time  to  put  his  plans  into 
execution.  And  soon  afterwards  IViars  disappeared  in  the 
waters  of  the  St.  John's,  and  Gilbert  Burbank  was  con- 
demned to  death. 


86 


NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    DAY    BEFORE. 

It  was  in  the  morning  of  the  nth  of  March  that  Gilbert 
Burbank  had  been  tried  by  the  Jacksonville  Committee  ; 
and  the  same  evening  his  father  had  been  arrested.  The 
next  day  but  one  the  young  officer  was  to  be  shot,  and 
doubtless  James  Burbank,  charged  as  being  his  accomplice, 
and  sentenced  to  the  same  penalty,  would  die  with  him. 

As  we  know,  Texar  held  the  Committee  in  his  hand.  His 
word  alone  was  law.  The  execution  of  the  father  and  the 
son  would  be  the  prelude  to  sanguinary  excesses  against  the 
Northerners  in  Florida,  and  all  who  shared  in  their  ideas 
on  the  slavery  question.  What  an  amount  of  personal 
vengeance  would  be  gratified  under  the  cloak  of  civil  war ! 
Nothing  but  the  presence  of  the  Federal  troops  could  put  a 
stop  to  this.  But  would  they  come,  and,  above  all,  would 
they  come  before  the  first  victims  had  been  sacrificed  to 
the  Spaniard's  hatred  .-* 

Unfortunately  it  seemed  to  be  doubtful. 

One  can  fancy  the  anguish  at  Castle  House  at  this  pro- 
longed delay. 

It  seemed  as  though  the  plan  of  ascending  the  St.  John's 
had  been  temporarily  abandoned  by  Stevens.  The  gun- 
boats made  no  movement  to  leave  their  anchorage.  Did 
they  not  dare  to  clear  the  bar  now  that  Mars  was  not  with 
them  to  pilot  them  along  the  channel .''  Had  they  given  up 
the  idea  of  taking  Jacksonville,  and  by  the  capture  assuring 
safety  to  the  plantations  on  the  St.  John's  ?  What  new 
events  of  the  war  had  modified  the  projects  of  Commodore 
Dupont? 

Such  were  the  questions  that  Mr.  Stannard  and  Overseer 


THE  DAY  BEFORE.  187 

rry  asked  themselves  during  this  interminable  day  of  the 
h  of  March. 

i^'rom  the  news  then  current  it  seemed  that  the  Federal 
)rts  in  this  part  of  Florida,  between  the  river  and  the  sea, 
|-e  confined  to  the  coast.  Commodore  Dupont,  in  the 
zbash,  with  the  heaviest  gunboats  of  the  squadron,  had 
t  appeared  in  the  Bay  of  St.  Augustine.  It  was  even 
orted  that  the  militia  were  preparing  to  abandon  the 
^n  without  attempting  to  defend  Fort  Marion  any  more 
|in  Fort  Church  had  been  defended  at  the  surrender  of 
rnandina, 

5uch,  at  least,  was  the  news  brought  by  the  overseer 
•ing  the  morning  to  Castle  House  ;  and  he  at  once 
(orted  it  to  Mr.  Stannard  and  Edward  Carrol,  who,  his 
und  not  having  healed,  was  obliged  to  recline  on  one  of 
;  sofas  in  the  hall, 

'  The  Federals  at  St.  Augustine !  "  said  the  latter  ;  "  and 
y  do  they  not  come  to  Jacksonville  ?  " 
Perhaps  they  wish  only  to  blockade  the  river  without 
:ing  possession,"  answered  Perry. 

'  James  and  Gilbert  are  lost  if  Jacksonville  remains  in 
xar's  hands,"  said  Mr.  Stannard. 

*  Could  I  not  go,'^  said  Perry,  "  and  tell  Commodore 
ipont  that  Mr.  Burbank  and  his  son  are  in  such 
tiger?" 

'It  would  take  a  day  to  reach  St.  Augustine,"  said 
rrol,  "  even  supposing  that  you  were  not  stopped  by  the 
reating  militia.  And  before  Dupont  could  order  Stevens 
[occupy  Jacksonville,  too  much  time  would  have  gone  ! 
jtsides,  there  is  this  bar — this  river- bar,  which  the  gun- 
ats  cannot  pass.  How  can  they  save  our  poor  Gilbert, 
Vo  is  to  die  to-morrow  }  No  !  it  is  not  to  St.  Augustine 
u  should  go,  but  to  Jacksonville  !  It  is  not  to  Com- 
3dore  Dupont  you  should  appeal,  but  to — Texar  !  " 
"  Mr.  Carrol  is  right,  father,  and  I  will  go  ! "  said  Alice, 
10  had  heard  the  few  last  words. 

The  brave  girl  was  ready  to  risk  everything  for  Gilbert's 
fety. 
The  evening  before,  when  he  left  Camdless  Bay,  James 


iS8  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

Burbank  had  particularly  enjoined  that  his  wife  should  i 
be  told  of  his  departure  to  Jacksonville.     It  was  better  i 
hide  from   her  that  the  Committee  had  ordered  his  arrc 
Mrs.  Burbank  was  thus  unaware  of  his  having  gone,  as  s 
was  unaware  of  the  fate  ot  her  son,  whom  she  believed 
be  on  board  the  flotilla.     How  could  the  unhappy  worn 
bear  up  under  the  double  blow  that  had  fallen  on   he 
Her  husband  in  the  power  of  Texar,  her  son  on  the  eve 
being  executed  !     She  would  never  survive  it.     When  s 
had  asked  to  see  James  Burbank,  Alice  had  replied  that 
had  left  Castle  House  in  resumption  of  his  search  after  I 
and  Zermah,  and  that  he  would  be  away  forty-eight  houi 
So  that  all  Mrs.  Burbank's  thoughts  were  concentrated  c 
her  stolen  child. 

Alice  knew  all  the  danr;ers  that  threatened  James  an 
Gilbert  Burbank.  She  knew  that  the  young  officer  was  1 
be  shot  in  the  morning,  and  that  the  same  fate  was  in  stoi 
for  his  father.  But  thou:;h  she  knew  all  this,  she  resolve 
to  see  Texar,  and  asked  Mr.  Carrol  to  take  her  across  th 
river. 

"  You — Alice — at  Jacksonville  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Stan, 
nard. 

"  Father,  it  is  necessary  !  " 

Mr.  Stannard's  very  natural  hesitation  suddenly  ceasec 
before  the  necessity  of  acting  without  delay.  If  Gilber 
could  be  saved,  it  was  only  by  the  way  Alice  wished  to  try 
Perhaps  by  casting  herself  at  Texar's  knees  she  could  shak( 
his  re.-^olution  !  Perhaps  she  might  obtain  a  resjiite  !  Per- 
haps she  might  find  .support  among  the  better  citizens  whc 
might  be  ic.duced  to  rise  against  the  intolerable  tyranny  ol 
the  Committee  !  In  short,  she  must  go  to  Jacksonville 
whatever  danger  she  might  run. 

"  Perry,"  she  said,  "  will  you  take  me  to  Mr.  Harvey's 
house  > " 

"  Immediately,"  said  the  overseer. 

"No,  Alice;  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Stannard. 
"  Yes,  I  will !     Let  us  start — " 

"You,  Stannard.^"  asked  Carrol.  "You  are  exposing 
your  life.     They  know  your  opinions." 


THE. DAY  BEFORE.  189 

"  What  does  it  matter  ? "  said  Mr.  Stannard.  "  I  will  not 
ct  my  daughter  go  alone  amongst  those  vagabonds. 
'erry  can  stay  at  Castle  House,  as  you  cannot  walk  yet, 
>r  we  must  prepare  in  case  we  are  detained — " 
"  If  Mrs  Burbank  asks  for  you,"  said  Carrol,  "  if  she  asks 
.r  Alice,  what  am  I  to  say  ?  " 

"  oay  that  we  have  gone  with  James  in  his  search  on  the 
tlicr  side  of  the  river.  Tell  her,  if  necessary,  that  we  have 
ad  to  go  to  Jacksonville— in  fact  anything  you  like  to  keep 
.er  quiet,  but  nothing  to  lead  her  to  suspect  the  dangers 
hat  surround  her  husband  and  son.  Perry,  get  a  boat 
eady." 

1  he  overseer  retired  at  once,  leaving  Mr.  Stannard  to 
)repare  for  his  journey. 

It  would  be  better  for  Alice  not  to  leave  Castle  House 
vithout  telling  Mrs.  Burbank  that  she  and  her  father  had 
[>een  obliged  to  go  to  Jacksonville.  If  need  be  she  could 
;ven  say  that  Texar's  party  had  been  superseded,  that  the 
Federals  were  masters  of  the  river,  that  to-morrow  Gilbert 
vould  be  at  Camdless  Bay.  But  would  the  girl  have 
lufficient  self-command,  would  her  voice  not  betray  her 
ivhen  she  asserted  as  facts  what  now  seemed  impossible  ? 

When  she  arrived  in  the  invalid's  room  Mrs.  Burbank 
was  asleep,  or  rather  deep  in  sorrowful  slumber,  in  profound 
torpor,  from  which  Alice  had  not  the  courage  to  wake  her. 
Perhaps  it  was  better  that  the  girl  had  no  need  to  speak 
land  soothe  her. 

I  One  of  the  women  of  the  house  watched  near  the  bed. 
[Alice  told  her  not  to  leave  for  a  moment,  and  to  ask  Mr. 
iCarrol  to  answer  Mrs.  Burbank's  questions.  Then  she 
bent  over  the  unhappy  mother,  almost  till  their  lips  met, 
and  then  she  went  out  and  joined  her  father. 
As  soon  as  she  saw  him,  "  Let  us  go,"  she  said. 
They  clasped  Carrol's  hand  and  went  out  from  the  hall. 
In  the  middle  of  the  bamboo-path  to  the  landing-path  they 
met  the  overseer. 

"  The  boat  is  ready,"  said  he. 

"  Good,"  said  Mr.  Stannard.     "  Keep  careful  guard  over 
the  house,  my  friend." 
PART   II. 


igo  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"Never  fear,  Mr.  Stannard,  our  blacks  are  coming  back' 
to  the  plantation,  and  that  means  much.  What  woulc' 
they  do  with  a  freedom  for  which  nature  has  not  created 
them  ?  Bring  us  back  Mr.  Burbank,  and  they  will  all  be 
found  at  their  post." 

Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daughter  took  their  places  in  the 
boat  with  four  of  the  Camdless  Baj^  men.  The  sail  was 
hoisted,  and  under  a  light  easterly  breeze  they  speedily 
left  the  shore. 

Mr.  Stannard  thought  it  best  not  to  land  at  the  wharf 
at  Jacksonville,  where  he  would  inevitably  be  recognized, 
but  to  run  into  a  little  creek  a  short  distance  above.  From 
there  it  would  be  easy  to  reach  Mr.  Harvey's  house,  which 
was  on  this  side  and  well  out  in  the  suburbs.  Once 
there  they  could  consult  over  matters  and  act  accordingly 

The  river  at  this  time  was  deserted.  Nothing  abov 
stream  ;  nothing  below.  There  had  been  no  fight  betweei 
the  Floridan  vessels  and  the  gunboats  under  Commandant 
Stevens,  whose  anchorage  could  not  even  be  seen,  owing 
to  a  bend  in  the  St.  John's  closing  the  horizon  below 
Jacksonville. 

After  a  quick  passage,  Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daughter 
reached  the  left  bank.  Without  being  noticed  they  were 
able  to  land  in  the  creek,  which  was  not  watched,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  they  found  themselves  in  the  house  of  James 
Burbank's  correspondent. 

Mr.  Harvey  was  much  surprised  and  much  alarmed  to 
see  them.  Their  presence  could  not  be  without  danger 
among  a  mob  more  and  more  excited  and  quite  devoted 
to  Texar.  It  was  known  that  Stannard  shared  in  the 
anti-slavery  ideas  adopted  at  Camdless  Bay.  The  pillage 
of  his  house  at  Jacksonville  was  a  warning  that  could  not 
be  disregarded. 

Assuredly  he  was  running  a  great  risk.  The  least  that 
could  happen  to  him,  if  he  was  discovered,  was  to  be  im- 
prisoned as  an  accomplice  of  James  Burbank's. 

"  We  must  save  Gilbert ! "  was  all  that  Miss  Alice  could 
answer  to  Mr.  Harvey's  observations. 

"  Yes,"  he  said.     "  We  must  try !      But  Mr.    Stannard 


tHE  DAY  BEFORE.  ipi: 

must  not  go  out  of  this  house  !  He  must  stay  here  while 
we  act." 

"  Will  they  let  me  into  the  prison  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

**  I  do  not  think  so,  Miss  Stannard." 

"  Shall  I  get  to  see  Texar  ? " 

"We  will  try." 

"  Will  you  not  let  me  go  with  you  ?  "  said  Mr.  Stannard. 

'*  No  !  that  would  do  harm  with  Texar  and  his  Com- 
mittee." 

"  Come,  then,  Mr.  Harvey,"  said  Alice. 

Before  they  left,  however,  Mr.  Stannard  asked  if  there  had 
been  any  war  news  which  had  not  yet  reached  Camdless  Bay. 

"  None,"  said  Mr.  Harvey  ;  "  at  least  none  that  concerns 
Jacksonville.  The  Federal  flotilla  has  appeared  in  the 
Bay  of  St.  Augustine,  and  the  town  has  been  surrendered. 
At  the  St.  John's  nothing  has  been  done  ;  the  gunboats 
are  still  at  anchor  below  the  bar." 

"  The  water  is  too  low  for  them  to  get  over." 

*'  Yes,  Mr.  Stannard  ;  but  to-day  we  are  to  have  one  of 
the  highest  tides  of  the  equinox.  It  will  be  high  water 
for  three  hours,  and  perhaps  the  gunboats  will  clear  it — " 

"  Clear  it  without  a  pilot,  now  that  Mars  is  no  longer 
there  to  guide  them  through  the  channels  !  "  said  Alice  in  a 
tone  which  show^ed  that  she  thought  little  of  this  hope. 
"  No  !  It  is  impossible  !  Mr.  Harvey,  I  must  see  Texar, 
and  if  he  repulses  me,  we  must  sacrifice  everything  to  help 
Gilbert  .escape — " 

"  And  we  will  do  so,  Miss  Stannard." 

"  Feeling  has  not  changed  in  Jacksonville  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Stannard. 

"No,"  replied  Mr.  Harvey.  "The  roughs  are' the 
masters,  and  Texar  leads  them.  But  owing  to  the  exac- 
tions and  menaces  of  the  Committee  the  respectable  people 
are  growling  with  indignation,  and  it  only  wants  a  move- 
ment of  the  Federals  on  the  river  to  bring  about  an  im- 
mediate change.  The  mob  is  a  cowardly  mob  ;  and  if  they 
have  cause  to  fear,  Texar  and  his  partisans  will  be  upset. 
I  hope  still  that  Commandant  S<^evens  will  be  able  to  clear 
the  bar—" 


192 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


"  We  will  wait  for  that,"  said  Alice  resolutely ;  "  and 
before  then  I  shall  have  seen  Texar." 

It  was  then  agreed  that  Mr.  Stannard  should  remain  in 
the  house,  so  that  his  presence  in  Jacksonville  should 
not  be  known.  Mr.  Harvey  was  to  help  Alice  in  all  her 
plans,  the  success  of  which,  it  was  well  understood,  was 
problematical.  If  Texar  refused  to  give  Gilbert  his  life,  if 
Alice  could  not  get  to  see  him,  they  would  try  even  at  the 
cost  of  a  fortune  to  procure  the  escape  of  the  prisoners. 

It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  when  Alice  and  Mr.  Harvey 
left  the  house  for  the  Courts  of  Justice,  where  the  Com- 
mittee under  Texar's  presidency  was  in  permanent  session. 

The  town  was  still  in' a  state  of  great  excitement.  The 
militia,  reinforced  by  the  detachments  arrived  from  the 
South,  were  constantly  on  the  move.  Those  set  free  by 
the  surrender  of  St.  Augustine  were  expected  during  the 
day,  either  by  the  St..  John's  or  by  the  road  through  the 
forests  on  its  right  bank.  The  people  thronged  the  streets. 
A  thousand  rumours  were  afloat,  contradictory  as  usual, 
and  provoking  a  tumult  akin  to  disorder.  It  was  easy  to 
see  that  if  the  Federals  did  arrive  there  would  be  no  unity 
of  action  in  the  defence  ;  there  would  be  no  serious  re- 
sistance. Fernandina  had  surrendered  nine  days  before  to 
the  troops  landed  under  General  Wright ;  St.  Augustine 
had  received  Dupont's  flotilla  wiihout  even  attempting  to 
bar  his  passage  ;  and  so  would  it  be  at  Jacksonville.  The 
Florida  Militia  would  give  place  to  the  Northern  troops, 
and  would  retire  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  There 
was  only  one  thing  to  save  Jacksonville  from  capture,  to 
prolong  the  powers  of  the  Committee  and  allow  them  to 
accomplish  their  sanguinary  plans  ;  that  was,  that  for  want 
of  water  or  want  of  a  pilot  the  gunboats  kept  outside  the 
bar.  And  in  a  few  hours  it  would  be  seen  if  this  were  to 
be  the  case. 

Through  a  crowd  which  grew  closer  at  every  step,  Alice 
and  Mr.  Hai-vey  made  their  way  to  the  principal  square. 
How  were  they  to  get  into  the  court.?  They  could  not 
imagine.  Once  there,  how  could  they  get  to  see  Texar  ? 
They  did  not  know.    Who  could  tell  if  the  Spaniard,  when 


THE  DAY  BEFORE.  igj 

he  heard  that  Alice  Stannard  demanded  to  see  him,  would 
not  arrest  her  and  imprison  her  until  after  the  lieutenant's 
execution  ?  But  she  would  not  think  of  such  things.  To 
see  Texar,  to  compel  him  to  have  mercy  on  Gilbert,  no 
personal  danger  would  be  too  great  for  her  to  run. 

When  she  and  Mr.  Harvey  reached  the  square,  thej' 
found  there  a  still  more  tumultuous  crowd.  Shouts  rent 
the  air,  and  these  words  of  menace  were  yelled  from  one 
group  to  another  :  "  Death  !  Death  ! " 

Mr.  Harvey  ascertained  that  the  Committee  had  been 
sitting  as  a  court  of  justice  for  an  hour.  A  dreadful  pre- 
sentiment seized  on  him,  and  the  presentiment  was  only 
too  well  justified.  The  Committee  were  trying  James 
Burbank  for  being  the  accomplice  of  his  son  Gilbert,  and 
holding  communication  with  the  Federal  army.  The  same 
crime,  the  same  sentence,  there  could  be  no  doubt,  and  the 
crowning  of  Texar's  work  against  the  Burbank  family. 

Mr.  Harvey  would  have  gone  no  further.  He  tried  to 
lead  Alice  away.  He  would  not  subject  her  to  the  sight 
of  the  violence  which  the  people  threatened  when  the  con- 
denmed  men  came  out  of  the  court  after  sentence  was 
pronounced.  This  ;was  hardly  the  time  to  seek  an  inter- 
view with  the  Spaniard. 

"  Come  away.  Miss  Stannard,"  said  Mr.  Harvey.  "  Come 
away  !     We  will  come  back  when  the  Committee — " 

•'  No  1 "  answered  Alice.  "  I  will  throw  myself  between 
the  accused  and  their  judges — " 

The  girl's  resolution  was  such  that  Mr.  Harv^ey  despaired 
of  overcoming  it.  Alice  led  the  way.  He  was  bound  to 
follow  her.  The  crowd  was  quiet— some  of  them  recog- 
nized her,  perhaps,  and  yet  it  opened  to  let  her  pass.  The 
cries  of  "  Death  !  "  sounded  horribly  in  her  ears.  Nothing 
could  stop  her.  She  reached  the  doors  of  the  court.  Here 
the  crowd  was  rougher  than  ever, — not  the  roughness  that 
follows  the  storm,  but  that  which  precedes  it.  The  most 
terrible  excesses  were  to  be  feared. 

Suddenly  a  tumultuous  wave  burst  from  the  court.  The 
shouts  redoubled.     Sentence  had  been  given. 

James  Burbank,  like  Gilbert,  had  been  condemned  for 


194 


NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 


the  same  pretended  crime  to  tlie  same  penalty.  Father 
and  son  would  fall  before  the  same  firing  platoon. 

'•  Death  !    Death  ! "  yelled  the  crowd  of  roughs. 

James  Burbank  appeared  on  the  steps.  He  was  calm 
and  collected.  A  look  of  scorn  was  all  he  had  for  the 
shouting  crowd. 

A  detachment  of  militia  surrounded  him,  with  orders  to 
take  him  back  to  prison. 

He  was  not  alone. 

Gilbert  was  by  his  side. 

Taken  from  the  cell  where  he  awaited  the  hour  of  exe- 
cution, the  young  officer  had  been  brought  into  the  Cf:m- 
mittee's  presence  to  be  confronted  with  James  Burbmk, 
who  could  only  confirm  what  his  son  had  said.  Gilbert 
had  come  to  Castle  House  to  see  his  dying  mother  for  the 
last  time.  On  the  evidence  the  charge  would  have  collapseil, 
had  not  the  trial  been  settled  beforehand.  The  same  doom 
awaited  both  innocent  men — a  doom  imposed  by  persoiw-.l 
vengeance,  and  pronounced  by  iniquitous  judges. 

The  crowd  closed  on  the  prisoners.  It  was  with  great 
difficulty  that  the  militia  could  clear  the  way. 

There  was  a  sudden  movement  ia  the  crowd.  Alice 
rushed  towards  the  father  and  son. 

Involuntarily  the  mob  recoiled,  surprised  by  this  unex- 
pected attempt. 

"  Alice  !"  exclaimed  Gilbert. 

"  Gilbert !  Gilbert ! "  murmured  Alice  as  she  fell  into 
his  arms. 

"  Alice  !  why  are  you  here  ?  "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  To  ask  mercy  for  you.  To  beg  it  from  your  judges. 
Mercy  !  mercy  for  them  !  " 

The  girl's  cries  were  heart-breaking.  She  clung  to  the 
clothes  of  the  doomed  men,  who  had  for  a  moment 
stopped. 

Could  they  hope  for  pity  from  the  wild  crowd  that  sur- 
rounded them  ?  No  !  But  her  intervention  for  a  moment 
prevented  them  from  proceeding  to  violence,  in  defiance  of 
the  militia  guard. 

Texar,  informed  of  what  was  happening,  appeared  at  the 


THE  DAY  BEFORE.  ^95  . 

threshold  of  the  Courts  of  Justice.     A  gesture  from  him  | 

silenced  the  crowd.     The  order  he  gave  was  to  take  the  • 

Burbanks  back  to  prison.  i 

The  detachment  resumed  its  march.  , 

"  Mercy !    mercy  ! "   sobbed  Alice,  throwmg  herself  at 

The  Spaniard's  reply  was  a  gesture  of  refusal.  i 

The  girl  stood  up.  i 

"Scoundrel!"  she  said.  i         ,    t.  ' 

She  would  have  rejoined  the  prisoners,  followed  them  to  : 
the  prison,  and  spent  with  them  the  last  hours  left  them  to 

They  were  already  out  of  the  square,  the  crowd  escorting  ■ 
them  with  yells  and  insults. 

It  was  more  than  Alice  could  bear.  Her  strength; 
abandoned  her.  She  staggered  and  fell.  She  had  neither  s 
feeling  nor  consciousness  when  Mrs.  Harvey  received  her  i 

in  her  arms.  ,  .  ,    .       r  *.u     ^ 

She  did  not  come  to  herself  till  she  was  with  her  father  / 
in  Mr.  Harvey's  house.  t 

"To  the  prison!  To  the  prison!"  she  murmured. j 
*'  Both  of  them  must  escape."  ' 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Stannard.  "That  is  all  we  can  try!| 
Wait  till  night  comes!"  i 

Nothing  could  be  done  during  the  day.  When  darkness - 
enabled  them  to  act  with  more  safety,  without  fear  ofi; 
being  surprised,  Mr.  Stannard  and  Mr.  Harvey  would] 
endeavour  to  help  the  prisoners  escape,  with  the  connivance . 
of  their  guard.  They  would  take  money  with  them,  soi 
much— so  they  hoped— that  the  man  would  be  unable  to ; 
resist  them;  particularly  as  a  single  shot  from  Stevens s, 
gunboats  might  end  the  Spaniard's  power.  ,  ' 

But  night  came,  and  they  had  to  give  up  all  thought  of ^ 
their  scheme.  The  prison  was  guarded  by  a  detachment' 
of  militia,  and  all  idea  of  flight  was  in  vain.  ; 


•9^  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  GALE  FROM  THE   NORTH-EAST. 

There  was  now  only  one  chance  for  the  doomed  men — 
that  before  a  dozen  hours  had  elapsed  the  Federals  were 
masters  of  the  town.  At  sunrise  James  and  Gilbert  Bur- 
bank  would  be  shot.  Their  prison  was  watched,  so  was 
i\Ir.  Harvey's  house  ;  how  could  they  esca:)e  ? 

The  capture  of  Jacksonville  could  not  be  made  by  the 
troops  landed  at  Fernandina,  who  could  not  abandon  that 
important  position  in  the  north  of  Florida.  The  task  mu?t 
be  that  of  the  gunboats  :  to  accomplish  it  the  bar  must  be 
crossed.  Then  when  the  line  of  boats  was  driven  back,  the 
flotilla  could  anchor  opposite  the  town.  Once  they  had 
the  town  under  their  guns,  the  militia  would  beat  a  retreat 
to  the  marshes.  Texar  and  his  partisans  would  certainly 
follow  them,  to  avoid  the  well-deserved  reprisals.  The 
respectable  citizens  would  then  resume  the  place  from 
which  they  had  been  hunted  with  such  indignity,  and  nego- 
tiate with  the  Federal  representatives  for  the  surrender. 

Was  it  possible  to  effect  this  passage  of  the  bar,  and 
within  the  time  ?  Was  there  any  way  of  overcoming  the 
obstacle  which  the  want  of  water  put  in  the  way  of  the 
gunboats  ?     It  was  very  doubtful,  as  we  shall  see. 

After,  sentence  was  pronounced  Texar  and  the  com- 
mander o^i  the  militia  went  down  to  the  wharf  to  inspect 
the  lower  course  of  the  river.  Their  attention  was  fixed 
on  the  bar. 

"  Nothing  fresh  has  been  reported  ? "  asked  Texar,  as  he 
stopped  at  the  end  of  the  stockade. 

"Nothing,"  said  the  officer.  "A  reconnaissance  I  sent 
out  to  the  north  tells  me  that  the  Federals  have  not  left 


A  GALE  FROM  THE  NORTH-EAST.  197 

Fernandina  for  Jacksonville.  Probably  they  are  kept  in 
observation  on  the  Georgian  frontier  until  their  flotilla  has 
forced  the  channel." 

"  Have  any  troops  come  from  the  south,  from  St. 
Augustine,  and  crossed  the  St.  John's  at  Picolata  > " 

"  I  think  not.  Dupont  has  only  troops  enough  to 
occupy  the  town,  and  his  object  is  to  blockade  the  whole 
coast  from  the  St  John's  to  the  furthest  inlets  of  Florida. 
We  have  nothing  to  fear  from  that  side,  Texar !" 

"  Then  the  only  danger  is  from  the  flotilla  if  it  clears  the 
bar,  below  which  it  has  been  at  anchor  for  three  days." 

"  That  is  so.  And  the  question  will  be  decided  in  a  few 
hours.  Perhaps,  after  all,  the  enemy's  object  is  to  close  the 
river  so  as  to  cut  off  the  communication  between  St. 
Augustine  and  Fernandina  !  It  is  most  to  his  interest  not  ; 
to  occupy  Florida  at  present,  but  to  stop  the  contraband  of 
war  coming  in  from  the  south.  The  expedition  has  no 
other  object— at  least  I  think  not.  If  it  had,  the  troops  at 
Amelia  Island  would  have  been  on  the  march  to  Jackson- 
ville." 

"You  may  be  right,"  said  Texar.  "It  doesn't  matter! 
But  I  wish  this  question  of  the  bar  was  over." 

«  It  will  be  settled  this  very  day." 

"  If  the  gunboats  do  come,  what  will  you  do  ?  "^  ^ 

"  Act  according  to  my  orders,  and  take  the  militia  into 
the  interior,  so  as  to  avoid  all  contact  with  the  Federals. 
If  they  can  occupy  the  towns,  let  them.  They  cannot  keep 
them  long,  for  they  will  be  cut  off  from  their  communica- 
tions with  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas,  and  we  shall  soon 
retake  them."  ^  t    1  -n 

"  But,"  said  Texar,  "  if  they  are  masters  of  Jacksonville 
only  for  a  day,  we  must  expect  reprisals.  All  these 
pretended  honest  men,  these  rich  planters,  and  abolitionists 
will  return  to  power,  and  then—  But^  it  shall  not  be ! 
No  !  and  rather  than  abandon  the  town — " 

The  Spaniard  did  not  finish  liis  thought,  but  it  was  easy 
to  see  his  meaning.  He  would  not  surrender  the  town  i  o 
the  Federals,  who  would  place  it  in  the  hands  of  the 
magistrates  he  had  supplanted.     He  would  give  it  to  the 


IpS  NORTH  AND  SOUTH.  "     I 

flames  ;  and  perhaps  his  measures  were  taken  with  a  view' 
to  this  work  of  destruction.  Then  lie  and  his  followers 
would  retire  after  the  militia,  and  in  the  marshes  of  the 
south  find  an  inaccessible  retreat,  where  they  could  awaitl 
events. 

But  there  was  nothing  of  this  to  be  feared  if  the' 
gunboats  could  not  clear  the  bar,  and  the  time  had  come  to 
settle  the  question,  i 

The   people  came   crowding  on   to   the   wharves.      A 
moment   was   enough    to   show    why    they    had    come,  1 
Deafening  shouts  arose.  '  ] 

"  The  gunboats  are  coming ! "  ; 

"  No  !  they  have  not  moved."  ! 

"  The  sea  is  open  ! "  •    ] 

"  They  are  going  to  try  it  at  full  speed  1 "  j 

"  Look  I  look  1 "  ^  I 

"So  they  are!"  said   the  commander  of  the  militia.' 

1  here  is  something  !     Look,  Texar  !  " 

The  Spaniard  did  not  reply.  He  never  took  his  eyes  ' 
from  where  the  horizon  was  closed  by  the  line  of  boats  ' 
drawn  across  the  stream.  Half  a  mile  below  were  the  spars  ! 
and  funnels  of  the  gun-vessels.  A  thick  smoke  was  rising  . 
and  driven  by  the  wind  came  floating  up  to  Jacksonville       ' 

Evidently  Stevens,  taking  advantage  of  the  full  tide,  was  ■ 

\T^h  u°  ^'°^^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^"  *^°^^s-  ^Vould  he  do  so  ?  ' 
Would  he  find  enough  water,  even  if  he  scraped  his  keels  ; 
as  he  came .?  No  wonder  there  v/as  violent  excitement  ' 
among  the  crowds  on  the  bank  of  the  St.  John's.  ! 

And  the  excitement  increased  as  some  thought  they  saw  i 
something,  and  others  thought  they  did  not. 

"  They  have  gained  half  a  cable !  " 

"  No  !  they  have  not  moved  further  than  if  their  anchor 
was  still  down."  j 

"  There  is  one  moving."  i 

"  Yes ;  but  she  is  swinging  on  a  pivot  because  she  has  i 
not  got  water  enough."  ; 

"  What  a  smoke  ! " 

"They  may  bum  all  the  coal  in  the  States,  but  thev  J 
won  t  get  over,"  '    i 


A  GALE  FROM  THE  NORTH-EAST.  199 

"  And  now  the  tide  is  slackening !  " 

"  Hurrah  for  the  South ! " 

«  Hurrah  !  " 

The  flotilla's  attempt  lasted  about  ten  minutes — ten 
minutes  which  appeared  long  to  Texar,  to  his  partisans, 
and  to  all  there  whose  liberty  or  life  would  be  endangered 
by  the  capture  of  Jacksonville.  What  had  really  happened 
they  did  not  know  ;  the  distance  was  too  great  for  them  to 
be  sure.  Had  the  channel  been  forced  or  not .?  By  dis- 
charging all  useless  weight  to  lighten  his  draught,  had 
Stevens  been  able  to  clear  the  narrow  shoal  that  kept  him 
out  of  the  deep  water,  by  which  the  passage  up  to  the 
town  would  be  easy  ?  So  long  as  the  tide  was  on  the  turn 
there  was  a  chance  that  he  might. 

But  as  the  people  said,  the  tide  had  begun  to  run  out. 
Once  the  ebb  began,  the  level  of  the  St.  John's  would  soon 
sink. 

Suddenly  arms  were  stretched  towards  the  bar,  and  there 
was  a  shout  that  was  heard  over  all, — 

"  A  boat !  a  boat !  " 

A  little  boat  was  sighted  coming  along  the  left  bank, 
where  the  flow  of  the  tide  was  still  perceptible,  while  the 
ebb  appeared  in  mid-channel.  The  boat  rowed  up  rapidly. 
In  the  stern  sat  an  officer  in  the  uniform  of  the  Florida 
Militia.  He  soon  reached  the  stockade,  and,  running  up 
the  ladder,  landed  on  the  wharf  Perceiving  Texar  he 
came  towards  him,  followed  by  a  crowd  almost  choking 
with  anxiety  to  see  and  hear, 

"  What  is  it  ? "  asked  the  Spaniard. 

"  Nothing,  and  there  will  be  nothing  ! "  said  the  officer. 

"  Who  sent  you  .? " 

"  The  commander  of  the  boats,  who  will  soon  be  back 
here." 

"And  why?" 

"  Because  the  gunboats  have  failed  in  crossing  the  bar, 
although  they  were  lightened  for  draught  and  were  driven 
at  full  speed.     There  is  now  nothing  to  fear — " 

"  For  this  tide  ?  "  asked  Texar. 

"  Nor  for  any  other— at  least  idr  some  months.*' 


^ 


NORTH  AND   SOUTH, 


"  Hurrah  !    Hurrah  !  " 

The  cheers  spread  over  the  town.  And  as  the  rough): 
more  than  ever  cheered  the  Spaniard,  in  whom  al!  theii 
detestable  instincts  were  incarnate,  the  respectable  peopUl 
saw  with  despair  that  for  some  time  yet  they  would  b^ 
under  the  iniquitous  rule  of  the  Committee  and  its  chief. 

The  officer's  report  was  true.     From  that  day  the  tid<ji 
would  decrease  each  day.     The  tide  of  the  12th  of  MarchI 
was  one  of  the  highest  of  the  \'ear,  and  several  months 
would  elapse  before  it  a^ain  reached  the  same  level.     The 
bar  being  impassable,  Jacksonville  would  escape  Stevens's 
guns.     Texar  would  remain  in  power  ;  the  scoundrel  woulc 
accomplish  his  work  of  vengeance  Even  if  General  Shermar 
sent  Wright  to  occupy  the  town  with  the  troops  landed  aljl 
Fernandina,  tlie  march  would  take  several  days.     As  far  as! 
the  Burbanks  were  concerr.ed,  their  execution  being  fixed; 
for  the  next  morning,  nothing  could  save  them. 

The  news  spread  to  the  suburbs.  We  can  imagine  its 
effect  on  the  riotous  portion  of  the  community.  Decent c 
people  prepared  to  leave  a  town  in  which  they  could  not: 
be  safe. 

The  cheering  and  shouting  reached  the  prisoners,  and' 
told  them  that  all  hope  of  life  had  vanished,  and  they  were 
heard  in  Mr.  Harvey's  house.  We  need  not  dwell  on  the 
despair  with  which  they  filled  Mr.  Stannard  and  his 
daughter.  What  could  they  do  now  to  save  James  Bur- 
bank  and  his  son  ?  Corrupt  the  gaoler  ?  They  could  not 
now  leave  the  himse  in  which  they  had  taken  refuge  !  A 
troop  of  desperadoes  kept  them  in  sight,  whose  curses 
could  be  heard  at  the  door. 

'Night  came  on.  The  weather,  which  had  been  threaten- 
ing for  some  hours,  changed  rapidly  ;  the  wind  had  gone 
round  to  the  north-east.  Great  masses  of  grey,  broken 
clouds  came  racing  past,  too  hurriedly  to  dissolve  in  rain, 
and  almost  low  enough  to  sweep  the  surface  of  the  sea, 
A  frigate's  masts  would  certainly  have  reached  into  the. 
mass  of  vapour.  The  barometer  suddenly  fell,  and  there 
was  every  sign  of  a  storm  over  the  distant  Atlantic. 

From  its  position  the  storm  would  strike  full  into  the 


A  GALE  FROM  THE  NORTH-EAST.  201 

ry  of  the  St.  John's.     It  would  raise  the  waters  and 
them  back  like  the  bores  of  large  rivers,  and  the  flood 

rise  over  the  lands  by  the  river-side, 
iring  this  night  of  trouble  Jacksonville  was  swept  with 
ile  violence.     A  part  of  the  stockade  succumbed  to 
ury  of  the  surf  against  the  stockades  ;  the  water  came 
the  wharf,  and  dashed  to  pieces  on  it  several  dogger- 
5,  whose  cables  broke  like  threads.     It  was  impossible 
main  in  the  streets  or  squares  owing  to  the  shower  0; 
nents  that  rained  down  from  the  roofs.     People  too'- 
je  in  the  public-houses,   and  the  noise  therein    con- 
ed, not  without  advantage,  with  the  roar  of  the  storm. 
w^as  not  only  over  the  land  that  the  gale  raged.     In 
5t.  John^s,  the  agitation  of  the  waters  produced  quite  a 
)us  sea.     The  boats  moored  above  the  bar  were  caught 
le  storm  before  they  could  get  into  safety  ;  their  grap- 
broke,  and    their   cables  parted.     The   night's   tide, 
ased  by  the  gale,  carried  them  up  the  river  resistlessly. 
le  were  stove  against  the  piles,  others  were  swept  past 
csonville  and  lost  on  the  islands  and  points  miles  up 
St.  John's.     Many  of  the  sailors  lost  their  lives  in  the 
m,  which  came  on  so  suddenly  as  to  render  useless  the 

ures  usually  taken  under  such  circumstances, 
lad  the  gunboats  v/eighed  anchor  and  steamed  off  to 
(ter  in  the  creeks  at  the  mouth  ?  Had  they,  thanks  to 
1  precaution,  escaped  complete  destruction  ?  Had  they 
ie  out  of  the  river  ?  That  they  had  remained  at  their 
jhors  Jacksonville  could  not  believe,  for  the  bar  would 
y  be  impassable. 

Darkness  enveloped  the  valley  of  the  St.  John's,  while 
air  and  the  water  mingled  together  as  if  some  chemical 
[on  was  trying  to  combine  them  into  one  element.  It 
5  one  of  those  cataclysms  which  are  so  frequent  at  the 
linox,  but  in  violence  it  exceeded  all  that  this  part  of 
)rida  had  experienced. 

3wing  to  its  violence  the  storm  lasted  but  a  few  hours, 
fore  the  sun  rose  the  storm  had  passed  over  into  the 
If  of  Mexico. 
\bout  four  o'clock,  as  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were 


202  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

tinting  the  horizon,  a  calm  succeeded  to  the  tumult  o) 

night,  and  the  people  began  to  crowd  into  the  streets 
the   drinking-bars   where   they   had    taken    refuge, 
militia  reappeared  at  their  deserted  posts.     The  da 
caused  by  the  tempest  began  to  be  taken  in  hand,  pai 
larly  along  the  river  front,  where  they  were  considei 
the  tide  bringing  down  with  it  many  of  the  drifted 
that  had  been  wrecked  and  carried  up  the  river. 

But  these  wrecks  could  only  be  seen  for  a  few  yards 
from  the  bank,  as  a  dense  fog  had  accumulated  over 
river,  and  was  rising  towards  the  higher  zones  that 
been  cooled  by  the  tempest.  At  five  o'clock  the  cent 
the  stream  was  still  invisible,  although  but  a  few  momi 
would  elapse  before  it  would  be  dissipated  in  the  ra 
the  sun. 

Suddenly,  just  after  five    o'clock,   loud   reports   bi 
through  the  mist.     There  could   be  no   mistake.     It 
not  the  long  roll  of  thunder,  but  the  formidable  detonati 
of  artillery  !     Something  whistled  characteristically  o 
head  ;  a  shout  of  terror  rose  from  the  crowd,  who  ru 
towards  the  wharf 

The  fog  began  to  open  ;  it  was  pierced  by  bang  a 
bang.     Its  wreatlis  mingled  with  the  smoke  from  the 
and  fell  to  the  river. 

There  lay  Stevens's  gunboats  in  line  before  Jacks( 
ville,  which  they  commanded  completely  within  si 
range ! 

"  The  gunboats !    The  gunboats  ! " 

The  words,  repeated  from  mouth  to  mouth,  soon  spr 
to  the  outskirts.     In  a  few  minutes  the  respectable  pop 
lation  with  extreme  satisfaction,  the  disreputable  popul 
tion  with  extreme  alarm,  learnt  that  Stevens  was  mastjii 
of  the  St.  John's. 

What  had  happened  ?  Had  the  Northerners  found  tit 
storm  of  unexpected  assistance  ?  Yes.  The  gunboaij 
had  not  sought  shelter  in  the  lower  creeks  of  the  estuar(i 
Notwithstanding  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  sea,  thej 
had  held  to  their  anchors.  While  the  enemy  cleared  o 
with  his  small  craft,  Stevens  rode  out  the  hurricane  at  tl| 


A  GALE  FROM  THE  NORTH-EAST.  203 

of  disaster,  so  as  to  attempt  the  passage,  which  circum- 
:es  had  made  practicable,     • 

le  storm,  by  driving  back  the  waters  up  the  estuary, 
raised  the  level  of  the.  stream  above  the  normal  height, 
the  gunboats  being  driven  at  full  speed  at  the  bar,  had 
y  got  over,  although  they  had  scraped  the  sand  with 
keels, 
bout  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Stevens,  coming  up 
le  fog,  calculated  that  he  was  off  Jacksonville.  There 
ad  anchored.  And  when  all  was  ready  he  had  rent 
mists  by  the  discharge  of  his  heavy  guns,  and  hurled 
irst  projectiles  at  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  John's, 
he  effect  was  instantaneous.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
itia  had  evacuated  the  town,  following  the  example  of 
Southern  troops  at  Fernandina  and  St.  Augustine, 
/ens,  seeing  the  wharves  deserted,  began  at  once  to 
ken  fire,  his  object  being  not  to  destroy  Jacksonville, 
to  occupy  it. 

Imost  immediately  a  v/hite  flag  was  displayed  on  the 
irts  of  Justice. 

Vheri  the  guns  were  first  heard  in  Mr.  Harvey's  house, 
it  was  the  anxiety.  The  town  was  certainly  attacked, 
i  attack  could  only  come  from  the  Federals.  Either 
y  had  ascended  the  St.  John's,  or  come  from  the  north 
Florida.  Was  this  the  unhoped-for  chance  of  safety — 
only  one  that  could  save  James  and  Gilbert  Burbank  ? 
^T.  Hdrvey  and  Alice  rushed  to  the  door  of  the  house, 
xar's  men  who  were  on  guard  had  taken  flight  and 
[owed  the  militia. 

A-lice  and  her  companion  rushed  to  the  riverside.  The 
f  was  just  vanishing  and  the  other  bank  of  the  river 
aid  be  seen. 

f  he  gunboats  were  silent,  for  already  Jacksonville  had 
andoned  its  resistance. 

A  number  of  boats  had  put  off  from  the  flotilla,  and 
re  landing  on  the  quay  a  detachment  armed  with  rifle.s, 
rolvers,  and  axes. 

Suddenly  a  shout  was  heard  among  the  sailors. 
The  man  who  had  shouted  rushed  towards  Alice. 


204  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"Mars  !  Mars!"  she  exclaimed,  stupefied  to  find  he  ^ 
in  the  presence  of  Zermah's  husband,   who   she    thoiifli  ^^ ' 
had  been  drowned.  1  '^'^ 

"  Mr.  Gilbert  !     Mr.  Gilbert ! "   asked   Mars.      "  Wh 
is  he  ?  " 

"  Prisoner  with  Mr.  Burbank  !     Save  him.  Mars  I     Sa 
him  !  and  save  his  father  !  " 

"  To  the  prison  ! "  shouted   Mars,  turning  and  joini 
his  companions.  ] 

And  then  all  set  off  at  a  run  to  prevent  a  last  crid 
being  committed  by  Texar. 

Mr.  Harvey  and  Alice  followed  them. 

So  that,  after  jumping  into  the  water,  Mars  had  escaj*  '* 
the  eddies  on  the  bar  ?     Yes  !     And  the  brave  half-brec  ^, 
had  prudently  refrained  from  letting  his  safety  be  knoM 
at  Castle  House.     To  have  sought  there  for  shelter  wou 
have  been  to  risk  his  safety,  and  to  accomplish  his  wo     " 
lie  must  be  free.     Having  swum  to  the  right  bank  of  t|  ^^ 
river,  he  had  been  able,  by  creeping  through  the  reeds, 
get  down  opposite   the   flotilla.      There   his   signals  hs  "^ 
been  noticed,  and  a  boat  had  been  sent  to  bring  him  c  '"' 
board    Stevens's  vessel.      Stevens  was    full}'-  informed  ( 
what  had  occurred,  and  on  account  of  Gilbert's  imminei 
danger  efforts  were  made  to  get  through  the  channel.     Bi  «" 
they  were   useless,  as  we   know,  and  the   operation  wa 
about  to  be  abandoned  when,  during  the  night,  the  store 
raised    the   river  level.      But  without   knowledge  of  th« 
difficult  waterway  the  flotilla  might  have  grounded  on  thi 
shoals.     Fortunately  Mars  was  there.      He  had  skilfullji 
piloted   the  commandant's   gunboat,  and    the  others  fol 
lowed,  notwithstanding  the  storm.     And  before   the  fog 
had  risen  on  the  St.  John's,  they  were  anchored  with  thi 
town  under  their  guns. 

It  was  time,  for  the  two  men  were  to  be  executed  ; 
daylight.  But  already  all  cause  for  fear  had  been  remove 
The  magistrates  had  resumed  the  authority  usurped  b 
Texar.  And  when  Mars  and  his  companions  reached  thi 
prison,  James  and  Gilbert  Burbank  were  coming  out,  fre 
at  last 


& 


A  GALE  FROM  THE  NORTlI-EASf. 


'■^5 


In  a  moment  the  young  lieutenant  had  clasped  Alice  to 

s  breast,  while  Stannard  and  James  Burbank  fell  into 
ich  other's  arms. 

"  My  mother  ?  "^sked  Gilbert.     - 

"  She  lives  !  she  lives  !  "  answered  Alice. 

"Well,  let  us  go  to  Castle  House !  "  said  Gilbert. 

"  Not  before  justice  is  done  ! "  ansv/ered  James  Burbank. 

Mars  understood  his  master.  He  rushed  towards  the 
lain  square,  in  the  hope  of  finding  Texar. 

Would  not  the  Spaniard  have  already  taken  flight,  so  as 
3  avoid  reprisals  ?  Would  he  riot  have  withdrawn  himselt 
"om  public  vengeance  with  all  those  concerned  with  him 
1  the  late  period  of  excess  }  Would  he  not  have  followed 
he  militia,  who  were  in  full  retreat  ? 

It  would  have  been  thought  so. 

But,  without  waiting  for  the  intei-vention  of  the  Federajs, 

number  of  the  inhabitants  had  run  to  the  Courts  of 
usticc.  Texar  was  arrested  at  the  moment  he  was  about 
o  escape.  He  was  put  under  a  guard  ;  and  very  resigned 
o  his  fate  did  he  appear.  But  when  Mars  came  towards 
lirn,  he  saw  that  his  life  was  in  danger. 

The  half-breed  threw  himself  on  him.  Irf  spite  of  the 
fforts  of  those  who  guarded  him,  he  seized  him  by  the 
hroat,  and  would  have  strangled  him  there  and  then,  if 
ames  Burbank  and  his  son  had  not  appeared. 

"  No  !  no  !  Living !  "  shouted  James  Burbank.  "  He 
must  live  !  he  must  speak  ! " 

"  Yes,  he  must ! "  said  Mars. 

A  few  minutes  later  Texar  was  locked  up  in  the  very 
cell  where  his  victims  had  awaited  the  hour  of  execution. 


jo6 


NORTH  AMD  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  PRISONER. 

At  last  the  Federals  wei^  masters  of  Jacksonville,  an 
consequently  of  the  St.  John's.     The  troops  brought  b; 
Commandant    Stevens    immediately   occupied    the    chi 
points  of  the  city.     The  usurping  authorities  liad  fled, 
the  old  committee  only  Texar  had  been  captured. 

Whether  owing  to  weariness  at  the  exactions  of  the 
few  days,  or  to  indifference  on  the  slavery  question,  thi 
people  did  not  give  at  all  a  bad  reception  to  the  officers 
the  flotilla,   who  represented   the  government   of  Wash- 
ington. 

Meanwhile,  Commodore  Dupont  at  St.  Augustine  busi 
himself  in  closing  the  Floridan  coast  against  contraban 
of  war.  The  passes  of  Mosquito  inlet  were  all  seiz& 
That  at  once  cut  off  the  trade  in  arms  and  munitions  wit 
the  Bahamas.  It  was  evident  that  henceforth  Florid, 
would  be  subject  to  the  Federal  Government. 

The  same  day  as  the  surrender  of  Jacksonville,  Jam 
and  Gilbert  Burbank  and  Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daught 
crossed  the  St.  John's  to  Camdless  Bay. 

Perry  and  the  assistant-overseers  were  waiting  for  them 
at  the  little  landing-place  with  a  few  of  the  blacks  who  had 
returned  to  the  plantation.  It  can  be  .imagined  how  they 
were  received,  and  with  what  demonstrations  they  were 
welcomed. 

Soon  James  Burbank  and  his  companions  were  at  his 
wife's  bedside. 

It  was  when  she  thus  again  beheld  her  son  that  for  the 
first  time  she  learnt  what  had  passed.  The  young  officer 
clasped  her  in  his  arms.     Her  people  would  never  leave 


A  t»RTSONER.  207 


pr  again.     Alice  could  give  her  all  her  attention.     She 

ould  soon  recover  her  strength.     There  was  nothing  now 

>  fear  from  Texar's  schemings.     The  Spaniard  was  in  the 

ands  of  the  Federals,  and  the  Federals  were  masters  of 

icksonville. 

But  if  she  had  to  tremble  no  r^ore  for  her  husband  and 
)n,  her  whole  thought  was  on  h^r  daughter.  She  wanted 
>y  ;  and  Mars  must  find  Zermah. 

•'  We  shall  find  them ! "  exclaimed  James  Burbank. 
Mars  and  Gilbert  will  help  in  the  search." 

"  Yes,  father,  and  without  losing  a  day !  " 

"  As  we  have  got  hold  of  Texar/'  said  Mr.  Burbank, 
Texar  must  speak." 

"And  if  he  refuses  to  speak?"  asked  Mr.  Stannard. 
I  If  he  pretends  he  knows  nothing  about  the  disappearance 
■f  Dy  and  Zermah?" 

"  And  how  can  he  ? "  said  Gilbert.  "  Did  not  Zermah 
ecognize  him  at  Marine  Creek  .?  Did  not  Alice  and  mother 
lear  Zermah  shout  his  name  as  the  boat  moved  off  ?  Can 
l-ou  doubt  that  he  was  the  author  of  the  outrage,  and  was 
n  command  there  ?  " 

"It  was  Texar  !  "  said  Mrs.  Burbank,  rising  as  if  she 
^ould  have  thrown  herself  out  of  bed. 

"  Yes,"  said  Alice,  "  I  recognized  him  !  He  was  standing 
ip  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  which  he  was  steering  into 
nid-stream." 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Mr.  Stannard.  "  It  was  Texar.  There 
is  no  doubt  !  But  if  he  refuses  to  say  where  he  has  hidden 
them,  where  are  we  to  look  i* — for  we  have  searched  in  vain 
fialong  the  river  for  miles." 

To  this  questton,  so  clearly  put,  there  was  no  reply.  All 
depended  on  what  the  Spaniard  said.  Was  it  his  interest 
to  speak  or  be  silent  ? 

"  Do  you  not  know  where  the  scoundrel  usually  lives  ?  " 
asked  Gilbert. 

"  No  one  knows  ;  no  one  has  ever  known,"  said  James 
Burbank.  "  In  the  south  of  the  country  there  are  so  many 
huge  forests  and  inaccessible  marshes  where  he  could  hide 
himself.     To  explore  that  country  would  be  in  vain.     The 

14 


2o8  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

Federals  themselves  could  not  there  pursue  the  retreating 
militia.     It  would  be  trouble  thrown  away." 

"  I  must  have  ray  daughter  ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Burbank. 

"  My  wife !  I  will  find  my  wife  !  "  said  Mars  ;  "  and  I 
will  force  the  rascal  to  tell  me  where  she  is." 

"  Yes,"  said  James  Burbank,  "  when  the  man  sees  he  may 
save  his  life  by  speaking,  he  will  speak.  If  he  were  in 
flight  we  might  despair.  With  him  in  Federal  hands,  we 
can  get  his  secret  out  of  him.  Have  confidence,  my  poor 
wife  !  We  are  on  the  track,  and  we  will  give  you  back 
your  child." 

Mrs.  Burbank  fainted  and  fell  back  on  her  bed.  Alice 
remained  witli  her,  while  Mr.  Stannard,  James  Burbank, 
Gilbert  and  Mars  went  down  into  the  hall  to  talk  matters 
over  with  Edward  Carrol. 

It  was  agreed  to  wait  till  the  Federals  had  organized 
their  capture,  and  that  Commodore  Dupont  should  be  in- 
formed of  the  facts  relative  not  only  to  Jacksonville,  but 
to  Camdless  Bay.  Perhaps  he  would  decide  to  bring 
Texar  at  once  before  a  militarj^  tribunal  } 

Gilbert  and  Mars  would  not  let  the  day  pass  without 
starting  on  their  search.  While  James  Burbank  and  Stan- 
nard and  Carrol  were  thinking  over  the  first  steps,  they 
would  be  off  up  the  St,  John's,  in  the  hope  of  discovering 
a  clue. 

Was  it  not  to  be  feared  that  Texar  would  refuse  to  speak, 
and  in  his  hatred  prefer  to  undergo  the  last  penalty,  rather 
than  surrender  his  victims  ?  Better  to  do  without  him. 
Let  them  discover  where  it  was  he  lived.  But  that  was  a 
vain  search.  They  knew  nothing  of  Black  Creek.  They 
thought  the  lagoon  was  inaccessible.  And  they  passed 
along  by  the  thicket  on  the  bank  without  discovering  the 
narrow  entrance. 

During  the  13th  of  March  there  was  no  change  in  the 
situation.  At  Camdless  Bay  the  reorganization  of  the 
estate  proceeded  slowly.  From  all  parts  of  the  district, 
from  the  neighbouring  forests,  into  which  they  had  been 
forced  to  disperse^  the  blacks  were  returning  in  great 
numbers.    Although  set  at  liberty  by  the  generous  act  of 


A   PRISUJSEk.                                            209  i 

James  l^urbank,  they  did  not  think  that  all  obligation  to  j 

him  was  at  an  end.     Thej'-  would  be  his  servants  if  they  ; 

could  not  be  his  slaves.     They  longed  to  get  back  on  the  ■ 

plantation,  to  rebuild  the  barracoons  destroyed  by  Texar's  I 

roughs,  to  set  up  the  factories  and  refit  the  workshops,  and  ■ 
resume  the  work  which  for  so  many  years  had  been  the 

welfare  and  happiness  of  their  families.  ; 

The  routine  of  the  plantation  was  first  taken  in  hand.  ; 
Edward  Carrol,  almost  cured  of  his  wound,  resumed  his  ] 
accustomed  work.  There  was  plenty  of  zeal  on  the  part  ^ 
of  Perry  and  the  assistant-overseers.  Even  Pyg  bestirred  ^ 
himself,  although  he  did  not  do  much.  The  poor  creature  i 
had  rather  come  down  in  his  ideas.  He  called  himself  '> 
free,  but  he  acted  like  a  platonic  freedman,  much  embar- 
rassed to  use  the  liberty  which  he  had  the  right  to  enjoy,  i 
When  the  men  had  returned  to  Camdless  Bay,  and  rebuilt  ] 
the  houses  that  had  suffered,  the  plantation  would  soon  ; 
resume  its  accustomed  aspect.  Whatever  might  be  the  ! 
issue  of  the  war,  there  was  every  reason  to  hope  that  ; 
security  was  assured  to  the  Florida  planters.  " 

Order  was  re-established  at  Jacksonville.     The  Federals  ; 

did  not  attem.pt  to  interfere  with  the  municipal  administra-  , 

tion.     They  occupied  the  town  for  military  purposes,  and  ' 

left  the  civic  authority  to  the  magistrates  whom  the  outbreak  ; 

had  for  a  time  suspended.     It  was   enough  that  the  stars  : 

and  stripes  floated  over  the  buildings.     If  the  majority  of  ; 

the  inhabitants  were  not  indifferent  to  the  question  which  ; 

divided  the  States,  they  at  least  showed  no  repugnance  at  ; 

submitling   to  the   victorious   party.     The  unionist  cause  I 

would  meet  with  no  opposition.     The  doctrine  of  "  state's  , 

right"  dear  to  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  was  not  held  ^ 

in  Florida  with  anything  like  the  same  ardour,  nor  would  ] 

it  be,  even  if  the  Federals  withdrew  their  troops.  ; 

The  events  of  the  war  up  to  this  had  been  as  follows  : —  ; 

The   Confederates,  in   order  to  support  Beauregard,  had  ' 

sent  six  gunboats,  under  Commodore  Hollins,  who  had  '■ 

taken  up  his  position  on  the  Mississippi,   between   New  ■ 

Madrid  and  Is  and  Ten.     A  struggle  began,  in  which  he  j 

was  vigorously    withstood    by  Admiral   Foote,  with  the  ! 


2IO  NORTH  AND  SOUTft. 

object  of  holding  the  upper  river.  The  day  that  Jackson- 
ville fell  to  Stevens,  the  Federal  artillery  opened  against 
Hollins's  gunboats.  The  advantage  rested  with  the  North- 
erners, who  took  Island  Ten  and  New  Madrid,  and  thus 
occupied  the  course  of  the  Mississippi  for  a  hundred  and 
twent) -four  miles,  reckoning  the  windings  of  the  stream. 

At  this  time  much  hesitation  showed  itself  in  the  plans 
of  the  Federal  government.  General  MacClellan  had  to 
submit  his  ideas  to  a  council  of  war,  and  although  they 
were  approved  by  the  majority  of  the  council,  President 
Lincoln's  yielding  to  regrettable  influences  postponed  their 
execution.  The  army  of  the  Potomac  was  divided  so  as  to 
assure  the  safety  of  Washington.  Fortunately  the  victory 
of  the  Monitor  and  the  flight  of  the  Virginia  had  opened 
the  navigation  on  the  Chesapeake ;  and  the  precipitate 
retreat  of  the  Confederates,  after  the  evacuation  of  Manassas, 
had  allowed  the  army  to  go  into  cantonments  in  that  town. 
In  this  way  the  question  of  the  blockade  of  the  Potomac 
was  settled. 

Politics  have  always  a  disastrous  effect  on  military  affairs, 
and  the  interests  of  the  North  now  suffered  severely  from  a 
decision  come  to  for  political  purposes.  General  MacClellan 
was  deprived  of  the  command-in-chief  of  the  Federal 
armies.  His  command  was  reduced  to  that  of  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  and  the  other  corps,  now  become  independent, 
passed  under  the  sole  direction  of  President  Lincoln. 

It  was  a  mistake.  MacClellan  keenly  resented  the 
affront  of  his  undeserved  dismissal.  But  like  a  soldier  who 
thought  only  of  his  duty,  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 
The  very  next  day  he  formed  a  plan  the  object  of  which 
was  to  land  troops  on  the  beach  of  Fort  Monroe.  The 
plan  was  adopted  by  the  chiefs  of  the  corps  and  approved 
by  the  president.  The  war  minister  sent  orders  to  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  and  vessels  of  all  kinds 
arrived  in  the  Potomac  to  take  on  board  General  MacClellan's 
army  and  its  baggage.  The  threats  which  so  long  had 
made  Washington  tremble  would  cease,  and  Richmond,  the 
Southern  capital,  would  in  its  turn  be  threatened. 

Such  was  the  situation  of  the  belligerents  when  Florida 


A  PRISONER,  211, 

submitted  to  General  Sherman  and  Commodore  Dupont. 
At  the  same  time  that  their  squadron  completed  the 
blockade  of  the  Floridan  coast,  they  had  become  masters- 
of  the  St.  John's,  and  assured  themselves  of  the  complete 
possession  of  the  peninsula. 

In  vain  had  Gilbert  and  Mars  explored  the  banks  and 
islands  up  to  Picolata.  And  all  that  could  be  done 
was  to  deal  with  Texar.  From  the  day  when  the  doors  of 
the  prison  shut  on  him  he  had  had  no  communication  with 
his  accomplices.  And  it  seemed  to  follow  that  Dy  and 
Zermah  would  be  found  wherever  they  might  have  been 
before  the  Federal  occupation. 

The  state  of  things  at  Jacksonville  was  now  such  that 
justice  could  safely  be  left  to  take  its  course  against  the 
Spaniard,  if  he  refused  to  give  information.  But  before 
proceeding  to  extremes  it  was  hoped  he  would  make 
certain  confessions  on  condition  of  being  set  at  liberty. 

*  On  the  14th  it  was  decided  to  try  what  could  be  done, 
the  military  authorities  having  previously  signified  their 
approval. 

Mrs.  Burbank  had  recovered  her  strength.  The  return 
of  her  son,  the  hope  of  soon  seeing  her  child,  the  peace 
which  had  settled  down  on  the  country,  and  the  safety  now 
guaranteed  to  Camdless  Bay  had  all  united  in  restoring  to 
her  the  energy, she  had  lost.  There  was  no  more  to  fear 
from  the  partisans  of  Texar,  who  had  terrorized  over 
Jacksonville.  The  mihtia  had  retired  into  the  interior  of 
Putnam  county.  If,  later  on,  the  St.  Augustine  militia, 
?ifter  passing  the  river  farther  up,  joined  hands  v/ith  them 
in  attempting  an  expedition  against  the  Federals,  the  peril 
would  be  distant,  and  need  cause  no  anxiety  while  Dupont 
and  Sherman  remained  in  Florida. 

It  was  agreed  that  James  and  Gilbert  Burbank  should 
go  to  Jacksonville  this  very  day,  and  go  alone.  Carrol, 
Stannard,  and  Mars  would  remain  at  the  plantation  ;  Alice 
could  not  leave  Mrs.  Burbank.  The  young  officer  and 
his  fatiier  tlibught  they  would  be  back  before  night,  and 
with  good  news.  As  soon  as  Texar  had  told  then^  where 
he  was  keeping  Dy  and  Zennah,  they  would  see  about 


212  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

their  deliverance,  which  would  doubtless  be  accomplished 
in  a  few  hours  or  a  day  at  the  outside. 

Just  as  they  were  going  away,  Alice  took  the  young 
officer  apart. 

"  Gilbert,"  she  said,  "  you  are  going  to  see  a  man  who 
has  done  much  evil  to  your  family.  He  is  a  scoundrel 
who  would  have  killed  both  you  and  your  father.  Gilbert, 
you  must  promise  me  to  keep  your  temper  when  you  are 
with  Texar." 

"  Keep  my  temper  !  "  exclaimed  Gilbert,  who  grew  pale 
with  anger  at  the  mere  mention  of  the  Spaniard's  name. 

"  It  is  necessary  for  you  to  do  so.  You  will  gain  nothing 
by  being  angry.  Forget  all  idea  of  vengeance  to  secure 
the  safety  of  your  sister,  who  will  soon  be  mine  !  For  that 
you  must  sacrifice  ever>-thing.  You  must  make  Texar  feci 
sure  that  he  has  nothing  to  fear  in  the  future." 

"  Nothing !  Do  you  forget  that  owing  to  him  my 
mother  might  have  died,  my  father  might  have  been 
shot?" 

"  And  so  might  you,  Gilbert ;  you  whom  I  never  thought 
to  see  again  !  Yes,  he  did  all  tliat,  and  we  must  not  think 
of  it  any  more !  I  tell  you,  because  I  am  afraid  that  your 
father  will  not  control  himself,  and  if  you  do  not  do  so  you 
will  fail.  Why  did  you  dccicie  to  go  to  Jacksonville  with- 
out me?     I  might  have  gained  by  kindness — " 

"And  if  this  man  refuses  to  answer.'"  asked  Gilbert, 
who  felt  the  justice  of  Alice's  advice. 

"If  he  refuses,  you  must  leave  the  magistrates  to  com- 
pel him.  He  risks  his  life,  and  when  he  sees  he  can  save 
it  by  speaking,  iie  will  speak.  Gilbert,  promise  me,  in  the 
name  of  our  love,  promise  me — " 

"  Yes,  my  dear  i\lice  ;  yes !  Whatever  he  may  have 
done,  if  he  gives  us  back  my  sister,  I  will  forget  it." 

"  Good,  Gilbert.  We  have  passed  through  a  terrible 
trial,  which  will  soon  be  at  an  end.  For  the  sad  days  we 
have  been  through  God  will  give  us  years  of  happiness." 

Gillpert  clasped  the  hands  of  his  svveethe^.rt,  who  could 
not  restrain  a  fev/  te.irs,  and  they  parted 

At  teu  o'clock  James  Burbank  and  his  son  took  leave 


A  PRISONER.  213 

of  their  friends,  and  entered  a  boat  at  the  little  landing- 
place. 

The  river  was  being  speedily  crossed  when,  at  an  obser- 
vation of  Gilbert's,  the  boat,  instead  of  running  straight  to 
Jacksonville,  was  steered  for  Captain  Stevens's  gunboat. 

Stevens  was  in  military  charge  of  the  town.  It  was 
therefore  best  that  James  Burbank's  undertaking  should  be 
first  of  all  submitted  to  him  for  approval.  His  communi- 
cations with  the  authorities  were  frequent.  He  knew 
what  Texar  had  done  when  in  power,  what  was  his  share 
of  the  responsibility  in  the  events  that  had  laid  the 
plantation  waste,  and  why  and  how  he  had  been  arrested 
when  the  militia  had  begun  to  retreat.  He  knew  of  the 
reaction  which  had  taken  place  against  Texar,  and  how 
the  whole  respectable  population  of  Jacksonville  were 
asking  that  he  should  be  punished  for  his  crimes. 

Stevens  gave  a  willing  reception  to  the  Burbanks.  For 
the  young  officer  he  had  particular  esteem,  having  been 
able  to  appreciate  his  character  and  courage  while  Gilbert 
was  under  his  orders.^  After  the  return  of  Mars  to  the 
flotilla,  when  he  learnt  that  Gilbert  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  he  did  his  utmost  to  save  him.  But 
stopped  before  the  bar  of  the  St.  John's,  how  could  he 
reach  him  in  time  ?  We  know  under  what  circumstances 
the  safety  of  the  prisoners  had  been  obtained. 

In  a  few  words  Gilbert  told  him  what  had  passed,  con- 
firming what  had  already  been  reported  by  Mars.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  that  Texar  was  personally  responsible 
for  the  outrage  at  Marine  Creek,  and  that  he  alone  could 
say  where  Dy  and  Zermah  were  now  detained  by  his 
accomplices.  That  their  fate  was  in  the  Spaniard's  hands 
was  only  too  evident,  and  Stevens  saw  this  at  once.  Would 
he  allow  the  Burbanks  to  take  the  matter  in  hand  and  act 
as  they  thought  fit  ?  He  approved  of  all  that  had  been 
done ;  and  if  it  was  necessary  to  set  Texar  free,  he  would 
do  so,  and  take  the  responsibihty  with  the  Jacksonville 
magistrates. 

James  and  Gilbert  Burbank,  having  obtained  full  per- 
mission,  thanked  the  captain,  and   received  from  him   a 


214  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


written  permission  to   communicate   with   the  Spaniard. 
They  then  resumed  their  voyage  to  Jacksonville.  i 

There  they  met  Mr.  Harvey,  by  appointment.  The  three  | 
then  went  to  the  court,  where  they  received  from  the  '^ 
magistrates  an  order  to  enter  the  prison.  | 

A  physiologist  would  have  been  much  interested  in  | 
Texar's  bearing  and  conduct  since  his  incarceration.  There  I'J 
could  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  very  angry  at  the  arrival  of  * 
the  Federal  troops,  which  put  an  end  to  his  being  first  .' 
magistrate  of  the  town.  Although  he  had  held  the  power  ; 
to  do  what  he  liked,  and  had  every  facility  for  gratifying  ( 
his  personal  hatred,  yet  a  delay  of  a  few  hours  had  > 
prevented  him  from  shooting  James  and  Gilbert  Bur-  i 
bank  !  But  his  regret  went  no  further.  That  he  was  in  I 
the  hands  of  his  enemies,  imprisoned  on  the  most  serious  j 
charges,  responsible  for  all  the  violent  deeds  that  could  be  j 
so  justly  laid  to  his  charge,  seemed  to  be  a  matter  of  > 
perfect  indifference  to  him.  His  only  trouble  was  that  i 
he  had  not  brought  to  completion  his  plans  against  :; 
the  Burbanks.  He  seemed  to  take  no  interest  whatever  ; 
in  the  proceedings  against  him.  Would  he  now  render  ! 
futile  the  attempts  about  to  be  made  to  get  a  word  from  : 
him  ?  ! 

The  door  of  the  cell  opened.  James  and  Gilbert  Burbank  j 
were  in  the  prisoner's  presence.  ^ 

"  Ah  1  the  father  and  the  son,"  said  Texar  in  the  insolent  | 
tone  that  was  habitual  to  him.  "  I  ought  to  be  much  | 
obliged  to  the  Federals  !  Without  them  I  should  not  have  \ 
had  the  honour  of  this  visit.  The  mercy  you  no  longer  ask  ; 
for  yourselves  you  have  doubtless  come  to  offer  me  ?  "  ' 

The  tone  was  so  provoking  that  James  Burbank  would  ' 
have  exploded  had  not  his  son  restrained  him.  j 

"  Father,  let  me  speak.  Texar  would  like  to  meet  us  on  , 
ground  where  we  cannot  follow  him — that  of  recrimination.  ' 
It  is  useless  to  talk  about  the  past.  It  is  with  the  present  , 
we  are  concerned — the  present  alone."  • 

"  The  present  !"  exclaimed  Texar  ;  "  or  rather  the  present  i 
situation  !  It  seems  to  me  that  is  clear  enough  !  Three  ; 
days  ago  you  were  in  this  cell,  which  you  would  never  have  ' 


A  PRISONER,  215 

left  but  to  meet  your  death.  To-day  I  am  in  your  place, 
and  I  feel  much  more  comfortable  than  you  think." 

The  reply  was  disconcerting,  for  the  Burbanks  had  come 
to  offer  him  his  freedom  in  exchange  for  his  secret. 

"Texar,"  said  Gilbert,  "listen  to  me.  We  will  act 
frankly  with  you.  What  you  have  done  at  Jacksonville  is 
no  concern  of  ours.  What  you  have  done  at  Camdless 
Bay  we  are  willing  to  forget.  We  are  interested  in  only 
one  thing.  My  sister  and  Zermah  disappeared  the  night 
your  partisans  invaded  the  plantation  and  laid  siege  to 
Castle  House.     It  is  certain  that  both  were  carried  off — " 

"Carried  off?"  answered  Texar,  mechanically.  "I  am 
delighted  to  hear  it." 

"To  hear  it!"  exclaimed  James  Burbank.  "Do  you 
deny,  you  scoundrel,  dare  you  deny — " 

"  Father,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "  keep  cool — you  must. 
Yes,  Texar,  they  were  carried  off  during  the  attack  on  the 
plantation.     Do  you  admit  that  you  did  it  ? " 

"  I  have  nothing  to  answer." 

"  Do  you  refuse  to  tell  us  where  my  sister  and  Zermah 
have  been  taken  under  your  orders  ?  " 

"  I  repeat,  I  have  nothing  to  answer." 

"  Not  even  if  by  speaking  we  could  set  you  free  ? " 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  free." 

"  And  who  will  open  the  gates  of  this  prison  for  you  .?  " 
exclaimed  James  Burbank,  whom  so  much  impudence  had 
completely  astounded. 

"  The  judges  I  ask  for." 

"  The  judges  !     They  will  condemn  you  without  mercy." 

"  Then  I  shall  see  what  is  to  be  done." 

"  So  you  definitely  refuse  to  reply  ? "  asked  Gilbert,  for 
the  last  time. 

"  I  refuse." 

"  Even  at  the  price  of  the  liberty  I  offer  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  want  your  liberty." 

"  Even  at  ^he  price  of  the  fortune  I  offer  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  want  your  fortune.  And  now,  gentlemen, 
^  leave  me  alone." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Burbanks  were  completely 


2i6  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

bewildered  at  such  assurance.  On  what  could  it  rest  ? 
How  dare  Texar  expose  himself  tea  trial  which  could  only 
have  one  result  ?  Neither  liberty  nor  all  the  gold  they 
had  offered  could  tempt  him  to  answer.  Was  his  inex- 
tinguishable hatred  forcing  him  to  act  against  his  own 
interests  ? 

"  Come,  father,  come  ! "  said  the  young  officer ;  and  he 
led  James  Burbank  out  of  the  prison  At  the  door  they 
rejoined  Mr.  Harvey,  and  the  three  went  off  to  Captain 
Stevens  to  report  their  want  of  success. 

Meanwhile  a  proclamation  from  Commodore  Dupont 
had  arrived  on  board  the  flotilla.  It  was  addressed  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Jacksonville,  and  stated  that  no  notice  would 
be  taken  of  political  opinions,  nor  of  what  had  happened 
in  Florida  since  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war.  Submission 
to  the  flag  covered  all  responsibilities  in  a  public  point  of 
view. 

Evidently  this  measure,  a  very  wise  one  in  itself,  and  in 
accordance  with  President  Lincoln's  policy  in  all  similar 
circumstances,  could  not  apply  to  private  affairs  as  in 
Texar's  case.  He  had  usurped  the  powers  of  the  regular 
authorities,  and  used  them  to  organize  resistance.  Be  it 
so!  That  was  a  question  between  Southerners  and 
Southerners  in  which  the  Federals  did  not  wish  to  be 
concerned.  But  attempts  on  persons,  the  invasion  of 
Camdless  Bay  directed  against  a  Northerner,  the  destruc- 
tion of  James  Burbank's  property,  the  capture  of  his 
daughter  and  a  woman  in  his  service,  were  crimes  against 
ordinary  law,  and  for  them  redress  could  be  had  in  the 
regular  course  of  justice. 

Such  was  the  advice  of  Commandant  Stevens.  Such 
was  the  advice  of  Commodore  Dupont  as  soon  as  the  com- 
plaint was  made  to  him,  and  permission  asked  to  proceed 
against  the  Spaniard. 

In  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  March  an  order  was  issued 
for  Texar  to  appear  before  the  military  tribunal  on  the 
double  charge  of  pillage  and  abduction.  It  was  before 
the  couit-martial  sitting  at  St.  Augustine  that  the  accused 
would  have  to  answer  for  his  crimes. 


ST.  AUGUSTINa 


?T7        I 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ST.  AUGUSTINE. 

St.  Augustine  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  North 
America,  and  dates  from  the  fifteenth  century.  It  is  the 
capital  of  St.  John's  county,  which,  large  as  it  is,  contains 
less  than  3000  inhabitants. 

Spanish  in  origin,  St.  Augustine  remains  very  much  as 
it  was.  It  rises  near  the  end  of  one  of  the  islands  on 
the  coast.  Its  harbour  is  a  safe  refuge  for  ships  of  war  or 
commerce ;  it  is  well  protected  against  the  winds  which 
unceasingly  sweep  in  from  the  sea  along  the  dangerous 
shore.  But  to  enter  it  vessels  have  to  cross  the  bar  which 
the  eddies  of  the  Gulf  Stream  heap  back  at  its  mouth. 

The  streets  of  St.  Augustine  are  narrow,  like  those  of  all 
cities  beneath  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  Owing  to  theii 
position,  and  to  the  sea-breezes  which  night  and  morning 
freshen  the  atmosphere,  the  climate  is  a  mild  one,  and  the 
town  is  to  the  United  States  what  Nice  and  Mentone  are 
to  Provence. 

The  population  is  thickest  about  the  harbour  and  the 
neighbouring  streets.  The  suburbs,  with  their  few  huts 
covered  with  palm-leaves,  would  be  completely  deserted 
were  it  not  for  the  dogs,  pigs,  and  cows  allowed  to  wander 
where  they  please. 

The  city,  properly  so-called,  has  a  very  Spanish  look. 
The  houses  have  strongly-barred  windows,  and  in  the 
interior  they  have  the  traditional  patio,  or  central  court, 
surrounded  by  slender  colonnades,  fantastic  gables,  and 
carved  balconies.  Sometimes,  on  Sundays  or  holidays,  the 
houses  pour  forth  their  inhabitants  into  the  town.  Then 
there  is  the  strangest  mixture  of  senoras,  negresses, 
mulattoes, half-breeds,  Indians, thoroughbred  blacks,  English 

PART  II. 


2i8  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

ladies,  gentlemen,  clergymen,  monks,  and  Catholic  pries 
all  with  a  cigarette  in  their  lips,  even  when  they  are  goiii 
to  the  Calvary,  which  is  the  parish  church  of  St.  Augustir 
whose  bells  have  rung  their  peal  almost  without  interrupt! 
since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century. 

We  must  not  forget  the  markets,  richly  stored  wiii 
vegetables,  fish,  poultry,  pigs,  lambs — slaughtered  as  r 
quired  by  the  buyers — eggs,  rice,  boiled  bananas,  frijoles 
a  sort  of  small  cooked  bean—  in  short,  all  the  tropical  fruit 
•■.'ncapplcs,  dates,  olives,  pomegranates,  oranges,  guava 
caches,  figs,  maraiions — all  in  the  best  condition  to  mak^ 
:ife  agreeable  and  easy  in  this  part  of  Florida. 

The  highways  are  not  cleansed  by  paid  scavengers,  bu 
by  flocks  of  vultures,  which  the  law  protects,  and  forbid 
being  killed  under  very  strong  penalties.  The  birds'  ea 
everything,  even  snakes,  which  are  in  considerable  numbers 
notwithstanding  the  voracity  of  the  feathered  scavengers, 

There  is  no  want  of  green  among  the  chief  houses  of  the 
town.     Where  the  roads  cross,  a  glance  will  show  many  a 
group  of  trees  with  its  branches   above  the  roofs  of  the 
houses,  and   alive   with  its   noisy  crowd  of  wild  parrots. 
Often  there  are  huge  palms  waving  their  foliage  in  the  air, 
like  huge  fans  or  Indian  punkahs.     Here   and  there  are 
large    oaks    garlanded    with    lianas    and    glycenas,   and 
bouquets  of  gigantic  cactuses,  which  at  their  base  form  an 
impenetrable     hedge.     Everything    is    cheering   and   at-  I 
tractive,   and  would  be  more  so  jf  the  vultures  only  did  ] 
ihcir  work  more  conscientiously.     Decidedly  they  are  not ' 
as  good  as  mechanical  sweepers.  | 

At  St.  Augustine  there  are  but  one  or  two  steam  saw- ' 
inills,  a  cigar  factory,  and  a  turpentine  distillery.  The  / 
town  is  more  commercial  than  industrial,  and  exports  or  ^ 
iiuports  molasses,  cereals,  cotton,  indigo,  gums,  timber,  fish,  ' 
and  salt.  At  ordinary  times  the  harbour  is  busy  enough  I 
with  the  arrival  or  departure  of  steamers  employed  in  the  ; 
trade  and  passenger  service  to  the  different  ports  of  the  > 
ocean  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  i 

St.  Augustine  is  the  seat  of  one  of  the  six  courts  of  i 
justice  existing  in  Florida.     Its  only  means  of  defence  are  ' 


ST,  AUGUSTINE.  219 

I 
m  solitary  fort— Fort  Marion,  or  St.  Mark — built  in  the 
oH-astilian  style  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Vauban  or 
jLormontaigne  would  doubtless  have  made  very  little  of  it, 
i'put  it  is  admired  by  archaeologists  and  antiquaries  for  its 
lowers  and  bastions,  and  demilune  and  machicolations, 
•jind  its  old  guns  and  mortars,  which  would  be  more 
P  dangerous  for  those  that  fire  them  than  those  they  are 
.fired  against. 

h  It  was  this  fort  which  the  Confederate  garrison  had  hur- 
riedly abandoned  at  the  approach  of  the  Federal  flotilla, 
although  the  Government,  a  few  years  before  the  war,  had 
improved  its  means  of  defence.  After  the  militia  had  left, 
the  inhabitants  of  St.  Augustine  had  voluntarily  submitted 
to  Commodore  Dupont,  who  occupied  the  town  without  a 
blow. 

The  proceedings  against  the  Spaniard^  Texar,  had  made 
much  noise  in  the  county.  It  seemed  as  though  tliere  was 
at  last  to  be  an  end  to  the  strife  between  this  suspicious 
individual  and  the  Burbank  family.  The  abduction  of  the 
little  girl  and  Zermah  was  calculated  to  intensify  the  public 
opinion,  which  had  pronounced  emphatically  in  favour  of 
the  planter  of  Camdless  Bay.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
that  Texar  was  the  author  of  the  crime.  But  it  would  be 
curious  to  see  how  he  would  get  out  of  the  charge,  and 
whether  he  would  get  off,  as  he  had  always  done  before. 

Excitement  threatened  to  be  great  at  St.  Augustine 
The  proprietors  of  the  neighbouring  plantations  crowded 
in.  The  matter  v;as  of  great  interest  to  them  personally, 
as  one  of  the  charges  referred  to  the  overrunning  and  pillage 
of  Camdless  Bay.  Other  plantations  had  also  been  ravaged 
by  the  Southerners,  and  it  was  important  to  know  how  the 
Federal  Government  would  look  upon  such  crimes  against 
the  common  welfare,  though  perpetrated  under  cover  of 
politics. 

The  chief  hotel  in  St.  Augustine,  the  City,  had  accom- 
modated a  goodly  number  of  visitors  whose  sympathy  was 
entirely  with  the  Burbank  family,  and  it  could  accommo- 
date a  great  many  more.  And,  for  a  hotel,  there  could  be 
uo  more  appropriate  building  than  this  huge  sixteenth- 


2  20  NORTH   AND  SOU'lK. 

century  houiie,  the  old  home  of  the  correj^idor,  with  it.l 
puerta,  or  principal  door,  covered  with  carvings,  its  sola  od 
room  of  honour,  its  interior  court  with  the  columns  gar-;' 
landed  with  passion-flowers,  its  verandah,  on  to  whichi 
opened  the  most  comfortable  rooms  with  their  wainscoting] 
hidden  under  the  bric^htest  colours  of  emerald  and  golden] 
yellow,  its  miradors  on  the  walls  in  Spanish  fashion,  its] 
leaping  fountains  and  smiling  grass  plats,  all  in  a  vast] 
enclosure,  the  high-walled  patio. 

There  it  was  that  James  and  Gilbert  Biirbank,  and  Mr..| 
Stannard  and   his  daughter,  accompanied   by  Mars,  had 
taken  up  their  abode  the  evening  before. 

After  their  fruitless  journey  to  the  prison  at  Jacksonville, 
James  Burbank  and  his  son  had  returned  to  Castle  House. 
When  they  learnt  that  Texar  refused  to  answer  any  ques- 
tion about  Dy  or  Zermah,  the  family  felt  their  last  hope 
vanish,  although  the  news  that  Texar  would  have  to  answer 
to  military  justice  for  his  doings  at  Camdless  Bay  was  some 
consolation.  In  view  of  a  sentence  which  he  could  not 
escape,  the  Spaniard  would  doubtless  break  silence  when 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  treat  for  his  liberty  or  his  life. 

In  this  matter  Alice  Stannard  would  be  the  principal 
witness.  She  had  been  at  Marine  Creek  when  Zermah 
had  shouted  Texar's  name,  and  she  had  recognized  the 
scoundrel  in  the  boat  which  bore  him  away.  She  had  come 
to  St  Augustine,  and  her  father  and  his  friends  had  accom- 
panied her.  After  dinner,  on  the  i6th,  they  had  bidden 
farewell  to  Mrs.  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol.  One  of  the 
steamboats  had  embarked  them  at  Camdless  Bay,  and 
landed  them  at  Picolata,  and  thence  a  stage-coach  had 
brought  them  along  the  winding  road,  through  the  oaks, 
and  cypresses,  and  plantains,  which  here  abound.  Before 
midnight  comfortable  hospitality  had  received  them  in  the 
apartments  of  the  City  Hotel. 

Texar  had  not  been  abandoned  by  his  friends,  as  might 
be  imagined.  His  partisans  were  chiefly  among  the 
smaller  planters,  all  of  them  embittered  slaveholders. 
Knowing  that  they  would  not  have  to  answer  for  any  of 
the  troubles  at  Jacksonville,  his  companions  resolved  to 


ST.  AUGUSTINE.  22 1   ] 

'I 
rally  round  their  old  chief.  Many  of  them  had  come  to  ,'; 
St.  Augustine.  It  is  true  that  it  was  not  in  the  patio  of  ■ 
the  City  Hotel  that  one  would  look  for  them  ;  but  there  | 
were  many  of  them  in  the  inns  in  the  town,  in  the  trendas  ; 
where  the  half-bred  Spaniards  and  Creeks  sell  everything  ] 
tliat  can  be  eaten,  drunk,  or  smoked.  There  these  in-  ' 
dividuals  of  low  origin  and  equivocal  reputation  lost  no  j 
opportunity  of  protesting  in  Texar's  favour.  j 

Commodore  Dupont  was  not  now  at  St.  Augustine.  He  : 
was  away  on  the  blockade.  But  the  troops  landed  after  ■ 
the  surrender  of  Fort  Marion  were  in  firm  possession  of  \ 
the  city.  There  was  no  movement  to  be  feared  on  the  part  J 
of  the  Southerners  or  of  the  militia,  who  were  retreatmg  on  ,' 
the  other  side  of  the  river.  If  the  partisans  of  Texar  at-  J 
tempted  any  rescue,  they  would  be  immediately  put  down.    : 

One  of  the  gunboats  had  brought  tlie  Spaniard  to  i 
Picolata,  and  thence  he  had  been  brought  under  a  strong  ; 
escort,  and  placed  in  one  of  the  cells  in  the  fort,  from  ■• 
which  escape  was  impossible.  As  he  had  demanded  a  trial,  \ 
he  was  not  likely  to  attempt  an  escape.  His  partisans  ' 
were  aware  of  this.  If  he  were  condemned  this  time,  they  ^ 
would  see  what  they  could  do  to  help  him,  but  till  then  they  ; 
would  be  quiet.  '■ 

In  the  absence  of  the  Commodore,  Colonel  Gardner  was  , 
in  military  command.  He  was  the  president  of  the  court-  ; 
martial  appointed  to  try  Texar  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  Fort  \ 
Marion.  This  was  the  colonel  who  had  assisted  at  the  < 
capture  of  Fernandina,  and  it  was  at  his  orders  that  the  i 
prisoners  captured  from  the  train  by  the  Ottawa  had  been  | 
detained  for  forty-eight  hours,  a  fact  which  it  is  here  j 
important  to  notice.  ] 

The  court-martial  opened  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  \ 
morning,  A  numerous  public  filled  the  room.  Amongst  ; 
the  noisiest  of  the  crowd  were  the  friends  and  .partisans  of  i 
the  accused.  ^ 

James  and  Gilbert  Burbank,  Mr.  Stannard,  his  daughter,  5 
and  Mars  occupied  the  place  reserved  for  the  witnesses.  ^ 
There  seemed  to  be  no  defence.  No  witnesses  were  ap-  ' 
parently  to  be  called.     Did  the  Spaniard  scorn  all  evidence, 


22  2  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

or  had  he  found  it  impossible  to  bring  any  to  his  help  ? 
It  would  soon  be  known.  Anyhow,  there  seemed  to  be 
no  doubt  as  to  the  issue  of  the  affair. 

An  indefinable  presentiment  had  seized  upon  James 
Burbank.  Was  it  not  in  this  very  town  that  he  had  before 
prosecuted  Texar  ?  Had  not  he,  then,  by  an  incontestable 
alibi,  escaped  from  justice  ? 

As  soon  as  the  court-martial  was  seated  Texar  was 
brought  in.  He  sat  down  coolly  and  quietly.  Nothing 
seemed  to  be  able  to  disturb  his  natural  impudence.  A 
smile  of  disdain  for  his  judges,  a  look  full  of  assurance  for 
the  friends  he  recognized  in  the  room,  a  look  of  hatred  for 
James  Burbank,  and  then  he  settled  himself  and  waited 
for  Colonel  Gardner  to  begin. 

The  interrogatories  began  in  the  usual  way. 

"  Your  name  ?  "  asked  Colonel  Gardner. 

"  Texar." 

"  Your  age  ?  " 

"  Thirty-five." 

"Where  do  you  live." 

"  At  Jacksonville  ;  at  Torillo's  tienda." 

"  I  want  to  know  your  usual  abode." 

"  I  have  none." 

James  Burbank  felt  his  heart  beat  as  he  heard  this  reply, 
given  in  a  tone  which  plainly  denoted  a  firm  resolve  to 
keep  secret  the  real  place  of  residence. 

The  president  again  tried  to  get  at  the  facts,  but  Texar 
persisted  that  he  had  no  fixed  abode.  He  gave  himself 
out  to  be  a  nomad,  a  backwoodsman,  a  hunter  in  the  vast 
forests,  a  dweller  in  the  cypress-groves,  living  by  his  rifle 
and  his  decoys.     That  v/as  all  that  could  be  got  from  him. 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Colonel  Gardner,  "  It  does  not  matter 
much," 

"  It  does  not  matter  much,"  said  Texar  impudently. 
"  Put  down,  if  you  like.  Colonel,  that  my  domicile  is  now 
Fort  Marion,  in  St.  Augustine,  where  I  am  detained  con- 
trary to  all  justice.  Of  what  am  I  accused,  if  you  please  ?" 
he  asked,  as  if  he  wished  to  take  the  management  of  his 
own  trial. 


ST.  AUGUSTINE.  223 

"You  are  not  called  upon  to  answer  for  anything  that  took 
place  at  Jacksonville.  A  proclamation  from  Commodore 
Dupont  has  been  issued  announcing  that  the  Government 
will  not  interfere  in  the  local  revolution  which  substituted 
for  the  regular  authorities  of  the  county  certain  new  magis- 
trates, whoever  they  may  have  been.  Florida  is  now  under 
the  Federal  flag,  ana  the  Government  of  Washington  wilj 
soon  proceed  with  its  reorganization." 

"  If  I  am  not  charged  with  the  change  in  the  munici- 
pality of  Jacksonville,  and  that  with  the  support  of  the 
majority  of  the  people,  why  am  I  brought  before  this 
court-martial .-' " 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  you  pretend  not  to  know.  Crimes 
against  the  common  welfare  have  been  committed  while 
you  were  exercising  the  functions  of  chief  magistrate  of 
the  town.  You  are  accused  of  having  excited  the  violent 
part  of  the  population  to  commit  them." 

"  What  are  these  crimes  .-' " 

"  In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  outrage  at  Camdless  Bay 
plantation,  where  a  horde  of  thieves  was  set  loose." 

"  And  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  commanded  by  an 
officer  of  the  militia,"  added  the  Spaniard  quickly. 

"  Be  it  so.  But  there  was  robbery,  incendiarism,  and 
armed  attack  against  a  house,  which  it  was  right  to  repel 
—  as  was  done." 

"  Riglit  ?  "  answered  Texar.  "  Right  was  not  on  the 
side  of  him  who  refused  to  obey  the  orders  of  a  properly 
constituted  Committee.  James  Burbank — for  he  it  was — 
had  given  his  slaves  their  freedom  in  defiance  of  public 
opinion,  which,  in  Florida,  as  in  most  of  the  southern 
states  of  the  tjnion,  is  in  favour  of  slavery.  That  act 
might  have  been  the  cause  of  much  disaster  on  the  neigh- 
bouring plantations  by  exciting  the  blacks  to  revolt.  The 
Committee  of  Jacksonville  decided  that  under  the  circum- 
stances it  was  their  duty  to  interfere.  They  did  not  annul 
the  act  of  enfranchisement,  but  they  thought  fit  to  expel 
the  newly  freed  slaves  from  the  district.  James  Burbank 
refused  to  obey  the  order,  and  the  Committee  had  to  use 
force.    That  is  why  the   militia,   accompanied  by  some  of 

15 


2  24  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

the  inhabitants,  proceeded  to  disperse  the  former  slaves  at 
Camdless  Bay." 

"  Texar,"  replied  Colonel  Gardner,  "  the  court-martial 
cannot  admit  that  the  view  you  take  of  the  outrage  is  the 
correct  one.  James  Burbank  is  a  Northerner  by  birth,  and 
was  quite  within  his  rights  in  freeing  his  slaves.  Nothing 
can  excuse  the  excess  which  took  place  on  his  planta- 
tion." 

"  I  consider  that  I  am  losing  time  in  discussing  matters 
of  opinion  with  the  court-martial.  The  Committee  of 
Jacksonville  considered  it  their  duty  to  act  as  they  did. 
Am  I  accused  as  president  of  that  Committee  ?  Is  it  your 
intention  to  make  me  alone  responsible  for  its  acts  ? 

"  \'es.  You  were  not  only  the  president  of  the  Com- 
mittee, but  you  in  person  led  the  thieves." 

"  Prove  it,"  said  Texar  coolly.  "  Have  you  a  single 
witness  who  saw  me  among  eitlier  the  citizens  or  the 
soldiers  of  the  militia  who  carried  out  the  Committee's 
orders  ? " 

At  this  reply  Colonel  Gardner  called  on  James  Burbank 
to  give  his  evidence. 

James  Burbank  related  what  had  happened  since  Texar 
and  his  partisans  had  superseded  the  regular  authorities 
of  Jacksonville.  He  laid  stress  on  the  attitude  ot  the 
accused  in  inciting  the  people  to  attack  his  estate.  But  to 
Colonel  Gardner's  question  as  to  the  presence  of  Texar 
among  the  assailants,  he  could  only  rc-ply  that  he  had  not 
himself  seen  him.  We  know  in  fact  that  when  John 
Bruce,  Mr.  Harvey's  messenger,  had  been  asked  if  the 
Spaniard  was  one  of  the  mob,  the  reply  was  he  could  not 
say. 

^  In  any  case  no  one  can  doubt,"  added  James  Burbank, 
"that  this  man  is  solely  responsible  for  the  crime.  He  it 
was  who  incited  the  people  to  attack  me,  and  had  he  had 
his  way  my  house  would  have  been  given  to  the  flames, 
and  destroyed  with  its  last  defenders.  His  hand  was  in 
all  this,  as  it  will  be  found  to  have  been  in  a  still  more 
criminal  act." 

The  witness  offered  no  further  evidence.     Before  dealing 


ST.  AUGUSTINE.  225    ' 

With  the  abduction  it   was  best  to  finish  with   the   first  ■ 
charge.  j 

"  And  so,"  continued  Colonel  Gardner,  "  you  say  that  . 
you  only  had  a  share  in  the  responsibility  which  lay  on  the  : 
Committee  in  executing  their  order?" 

"  That  is  so."  I 

"  And  you  adhere  to  your  statement  that  you  were  not  \ 
at  the  head  of  those  who  attacked  the  plantation  ?  "  i 

"  I  do.     You  have  not  a  single  witness  who  can  swear  i 
he  saw  me.     No ;    I   was  not  among  the  brave   citizens 
who  executed  the  Comniittee's  orders.     And  I  may  add  ' 
that  on  that  day  I  was  absent  from  Jacksonville." 

*'Yes;  that  is  possible  after  all,"  said  James  Burbank,  '< 
who  considered  that  it  would  be  better  to  rely  on  the  ' 
second  charge.  j 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Texar.  1 

"  But  if  you  were  not  amongst  the  thieves  at  Camdless  ■ 
Bay,"  continued  James   Burbank,  "  you  were  at  Marine  ; 
Creek,  waiting  for  the  opportunity  of  committing  another 
crime." 

"  I  was  not  at  Marine  Creek,"  coolly  answered  Texar.  '■ 
"  I  was  not  at  Jacksonville  during  that  day."  , 

It  will  not  have  been  forgotten  that  John  Bruce  had  told  ; 
James  Burbank  that  Texar  had  not  been  seen  at  Jackson-  . 
ville  during  the  forty-eight  hours  from  the  2nd  to  the  4th  ^ 
of  March.  \ 

After  this  statement  of  the  Spaniard's,  the  president  of 
the  court-martial  put  to  him  the  following  question  :—  , 

"  If  you  were  not  at  Jacksonville,  where  were  you  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  the  time  comes,"  said  Texar.     "  It 
is  enough  for  me  now  to  have  proved  that   I  was  not  on  ' 
the  plantation  during  the  attack.     And  now,  colonel,  what  | 
is  the  next  charge  ? " 

And,  with  his  arms  crossed,  he  glared  impudently  at  his  ; 
accusers,  and  defied  them  to  their  face.  \ 

The  charge  was  not  long  in  coming,  and  Colonel  Gardner  j 
put  it  in  a  way  that  made  it  difficult  to  meet.  j 

"  If  you  were  not  at  Jacksonville,  the  charge  is  that  you  ; 

were  at  Marine  Creek."  V 

1 

■1 


2  26  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

"  At  Marine  Creek  ?     And  what  did  I  do  there  ? " 

"  You  carried  away  a  child,  Diana  Burbank,  the  daughter 
of  James  Burbank,  and  Zerinah,  the  wife  of  a  half-breed 
named  Mars,  here  present,  who  was  with  the  child." 

"  Ah !  I  am  charged  with  this  carrying  away ! "  said 
Texar,  in  a  tone  of  profound  irony. 

"  Yes,  you ! "  exclaimed  James  Burbank,  Gilbert,  and 
Mars,  all  at  once. 

"  And  why  am  I  accused,  if  you  please,  and  not  somebody 
else?" 

"  Because  you  alone  were  interested  in  committing  this 
crime." 

"How  interested  ?" 

"  As  an  act  of  revenge  on  the  Burbank  family.  More 
than  once  before  James  Burbank  had  prosecuted  you.  By 
pleading  an  alibi  you  escaped  from  justice  ;  but  you  on 
many  occasions  proclaimed  an  intention  of  being  revenged 
on  those  who  accused  you." 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Texar.  "  That  between  me  and  James 
Burbank  there  is  an  implacable  hatred  I  do  not  deny; 
that  I  had  an  interest  in  making  him  break  his  heart  over 
his  child  I  do  not  deny ;  but  that  I  did  what  you  say  is 
another  matter.     Have  you  any  witnesses  who  saw  me  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Colonel  Gardner ;  and  he  called  on  Alice 
Stannard  to  be  sworn. 

Miss  Stannard  related  what  had  passed  at  Marine  Creek. 
She  was  absolutely  certain  as  to  the  facts.  In  coming 
from  the  tunnel  she  and  Mrs.  Burbank  had  heard  the  name 
shouted  by  Zermah,  and  that  name  was  Texar's. 

After  stumbling  over  the  corpses  of  the  murdered  negroes, 
she  had  run  along  the  river  bank.  Two  boats  were  pushing 
off.  In  one  were  the  victims  ;  in  the  other  was  Texar, 
standing  upright  in  the  stern.  And  by  the  light  of  the 
fires  of  the  burning  plantation  she  had  recognized  the 
Spaniard. 

""  You  swear  that  ? "  asked  Colonel  Gardner. 

"  I  swear  it,"  answered  Alice. 

After  this  precise  declaration  there  could  be  no  doubt 
of  Texar's   guilt.     But   James    Burbank   and   the    entire 


ST.  'AUGUSTINE.  227 

audience  could  not  help  observing  that  the  accused  had  not 
for  a  moment  lost  his  coolness. 

"  What  have  you  to  >  say  to  the  charge  ? "  asked  the 
president  of  the  court-martial. 

"  This,"  said  the  Spaniard.  "  I  do  not  wish  to  accuse 
Miss  Stannard  of  perjury.  Nor  do  I  accuse  her  of 
serving  the  hatred  of  the  Burbank  family  against  me, 
by  affirming  on  oath  that  I  am  the  author  of  a  crime  of 
which  I  never  heard  till  after  my  arrest.  All  I  say  is 
that  she  is  mistaken  when  she  says  she  saw  me  in  one  of 
the  boats." 

"  But  if  Miss  Stannard  was  mistaken  on  that  point," 
said  Colonel  Gardner,  "she  cannot  be  mistaken  when 
she  says  that  she  heard  Zermah  cry,  '  Help !  It  is 
Texar ! ' " 

"  Well,"  said  the  Spaniard,  "  then  if  Miss  Stannard  was 
not  mistaken,  Zermah  was,  that  is  all." 

"  Would  Zermah  have  shouted  your  name  if  you  were 
not  there  ? " 

"  Very  likely,  for  I  was  not  there,  and  I  was  not  even  at 
Marine  Creek." 

"  That  you  must  prove." 

*'  That  is  easy  enough." 

"  Another  alibi  ?  "  asked  Colonel  Gardner.    . 

"  Another  !  "  said  Texar. 

At  this  there  was  a  movement  of  voices  amongst  the 
audience,  a  murmur  of  doubt  that  was  not  in  favour  of  the 
accused. 

"  Texar,"  said  the  colonel,  "  if  you  plead  another  alibi, 
can  you  prove  it  ?  " 

"  Easily,  for  I  have  only  to  ask  you  a  question." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  Were  you  not  in  command  of  the  troops  landed  to 
capture  Fernandina  and  Fort  Clinch  .''  " 

"  Yes." 

"You  remember  the  train  for  Cedar  Keys  that  was 
attacked  by  the  Ottawa  on  the  bridge  between  Amelia 
Island  and  the  mainland  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


2  28  NORTH   AND   SOUTH, 

"Well,  the  rear  carriage  was  knocked  off  and  stopped 
on  the  bridge,  and  a  detachment  of  Federal  troops  captured 
the  fugitives,  and  the  prisoners  had  their  names  taken,  and 
did  not  receive  their  liberty  for  foity-eight  hours  after- 
wards." 

"  I  know  that." 

"  Well,  I  was  one  of  those  prisoners." 

•'  You  > " 

"Yes,  I!" 

A  fresh  murmur  still  more  unfavourable  to  the  accused 
greeted  this  declaration. 

"  Then,"  continued  Texar,  "  as  these  prisoners  were  in 
your  custody  from  the  2nd  to  the  4th  of  March,  and  the 
attack  on  this  plantation  took  place  on  the  night  of  the  3rd 
of  March,  it  is  simply  impossible  that  I  could  have  been  at 
Marine  Creek.  Alice  Stannard  could  not  have  heard 
Zcrmah  shout  my  name.  She  could  not  have  seen  me  in 
the  boat,  for  I  was  then  a  Federal  prisoner." 

"  That  is  false  ! "  exclaimed  James  Burbank.  "  It  cannot 
be!" 

"  I  swear  I  saw  that  man,"  said  Alice,  "  and  I  recognized 
him  there  as  I  do  now." 

"  Look  at  the  papers  ?"  said  Texar. 

Colonel  Gardner  searched  among  the  papers  that  had 
been  sent  to  Commodore  Dupont  after  the  capture  of 
Fernandina,  and  in  the  list  of  prisoners  there  appeared  the 
name  of  Texar,  with  his  description. 

There  could  be  no  room  for  further  doubt.  The  Spaniard 
was  innocent  of  the  abduction.  Miss  Stannard  must 
have  been  mistaken.  He  could  not  have  been  at  Marine 
Creek.  His  absence  from  Jacksonville  for  forty-eight 
hours  was  fully  accounted  for  ;  he  was  then  a  prisoner  on 
one  of  the  gunboats.  And,  again,  an  indisputable  alibi, 
proved  by  official  evidence,  had  come  to  clear  him  of 
the  charge. 

James  Burbank,  Gilbert,  Mars,  and  Miss  Stannard  were 
overwhelmed  at  the  result.  Texar  had  again  escaped  them, 
and  with  them  all  chance  had  gone  of  ascertaining  Avhat 
had  become  of  Dy  and  Zermah. 


ST.  AUGUSTINE. 


229 


The  decision  of  the  court-martial  could  not  be  in  doubt 
for  an  instant.  Texar  was  discharged,  and  walked  out  of 
the  room  amid  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  his  friends. 

Before  night  he  had  left  St.  Augustine,  and  no  one  knew 
to  what  part  of  Florida  he  had  gone  to  resume  his 
mysterious  life  of  adventure. 


NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LAST  WORDS   AND  A  LAST  SIGH. 

The  same  day,  the  17th  of  March,  James  and  Gilbert 
Burbank,  Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daughter,  and  Zormah's 
husband  returned  to  Camdless  l^ay. 

They  could  not  hide  the  truth  from  Mrs.  Burbank.  The 
unfortunate  mother  received  a  fresh  blow  which,  in  the 
weak  state  she  was,  might  prove  fatal. 

The  last  attempt  to  discover  the  fate  of  her  child  had 
failed.  Texar  had  refused  to  answer.  And  how  could  he 
be  obliged  to  do  so  when  he  asserted  that  he  was  not  the 
author  of  the  abduction  .''  By  an  alibi  niorc  unintelligible 
than  those  that  had  preceded  it,  he  had  proved  that  he  was 
not  at  Marine  Creek  when  the  crime  took  place.  Had  he 
been  found  guilty,  they  could  have  given  him  his  choice 
between  suffering  the  consequences  or  revealing  the  where- 
abouts of  his  victims.  * 

"  But  if  it  was  not  Texar,"  asked  Gilbert,  "who  was  it  ?" 

"  It  must  have  been  some  of  his  people,"  said  Mr. 
Stannard. 

"That  is  the  only  explanation,'^  said  Edward  Carrol. 

"  No,  father,  no,  Mr.  Carrol  I  "  said  Alice.  "  Texar  was 
in  the  boat.  I  saw  him.  I  recognized  him  when  Ztrmah 
shouted  his  name  !     I  saw  him  !     I  saw  him  !  " 

What  could  be  the  answer  to  this  ?  Alice  adhered  to 
her  statement  that  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  have  been 
mistaken.  And  if  she  was  not  mistaken,  how  could  the 
Spaniard  have  been  at  Fernandina,  in  one  of  Dupont's 
gunboats  at  the  time  ? 

It  was  inexplicable.  But  if  the  others  had  any  doubt, 
Mars  had  none.  He  made  no  effort  to  comprehend  the 
incomprehensible.     All  he  did  was  to  make  up  his  mind 


LAST  WORDS  AND  A  LAST  SIGH.  231 

to  follow  after  Texar  and  to  wring  from  him  the  secret, 
even  if  it  became  necessary  to  torture  him. 

"You  are  right,  Mars,"  said  Gilbert.  "But  we  may 
have  to  do  without  the  scoundrel  if  we  do  not  know  what 
has  become  of  him.  We  must  start  on  our  search  again  ! 
I  have  orders  to  remain  on  leave  as  long  as  is  needful,  and 
to  morrow — " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Gilbert,  to-morrow  !  " 

And  the  half-breed  went  to  his  room,  where  he  could 
give  free  vent  to  his  sorrow  and  his  anger. 

In  the  morning  Gilbert  and  Mars  completed  their 
preparations  for  departure.  They  were  going  to  devote 
the  day  to  a  careful  search  among  the  minor  creeks  and 
small  islets  on  both  banks  of  the  St,  John's  above  Camd- 
less  Bay. 

During  their  absence  James  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol 
would  prepare  for  a  more  extended  campaign.  Provisions, 
ammunition,  means  of  transport,  men — nothing  would  be 
neglected.  If  theyhad  to  go  to  the  wild  regions  of  Lower 
Florida,  to  the  southern  marshes,  and  through  the  Ever- 
glades, they  would  go.  That  Texar  had  left  Florida  was 
impossible.  To  the  north  he  would  have  found  the  Fede- 
ral troops  on  the  Georgian  frontier.  By  sea  he  would 
have  to  make  for  the  Bahamas,  and  Commodore  Dupont's 
flotilla  had  closed  all  the  passes.  He  must  be  in  Florida, 
hidden  where  his  victims  had  been  hidden  for  a  fortnight, 
and  the  expedition  would  seek  for  his  traces  over  the 
whole  territor}^. 

There  was  peace  at  Jacksonville.  The  old  magistrates 
had  resumed  their  position  in  the  municipality.  There 
were  no  more  citizens  in  prison  for  their  opinions,  Texar's 
partisans  had  all  fled. 

The  war  continued  in  the  central  states  much  to  the 
advantage  of  the  Federals.  On  the  iSth  and  19th  the 
first  division  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  landed  at  Fortress 
Monroe.  On  the  22nd  the  second  division  prepared  to 
leave  Alexan<iria  for  the  same  destination.  In  spite  of 
the  military  genius  of  the  old  professor  of  chemistry, 
Stonewall  Jackson,  the  Southcr:iers  were  beaten  at  Kerns- 

PART   II.  F 


232  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

town.  There  was  thus  no  rising  to  be  feared  in  Florida, 
which  always  remained  somewhat  indifferent  to  the  heated 
passions  of  North  and  South. 

The  Camdless  Bay  men  gradually  came  back.  After 
the  capture  of  Jacksonville,  the  orders  of  Texar  and  his 
Committee  relative  to  the  expulsion  of  the  freed  men  were 
of  no  effect.  On  the  17th  of  March  the  greater  part  of 
the  blacks  had  returned,  and  were  busy  rebuilding  the 
barracoons,  while  many  were  at  work  clearing  the  ruins  of 
the  stores  and  saw-mills.  Under  the  direction  of  Edward 
Carrol,  Perry  and  the  assistant  overseers  were  very  busy. 
To  him  James  Burbank  left  the  whole  task  of  reorganiza- 
tion. The  father's  whole  time  was  devoted  to  the  search 
for  his  child.  A  dozen  of  the  freed  negroes  were  chosen 
to  help  in  the  expedition,  who,  with  heart  and  soul,  entered 
on  their  work. 

Where  was  the  expedition  to  go }  There  was  much 
reason  for  hesitation.  But  an  unhoped-for  circumstance 
forlunately  gave  a  clue. 

On  the  19th  Gilbert  and  Mars  left  Castle  House,  and  set 
off  up  the  St.  John's.  None  of  the  negroes  of  the  planta- 
tion accompanied  them.  It  was  necessary  to  act  as  secretly 
as  possible,  so  as  not  to  awake  the  suspicion  of  the  spies, 
who  might  be  watching  Castle  House. 

Gilbert  and  Mars  were  coasting  along  the  left  bank. 
Among  the  masses  of  foliage  and  floating  islands  detached 
by  the  high  tides  of  the  equinox,  the  boat  ran  no  risk  of 
discovery. 

Up  to  the  village  of  Mandarin  the  river  is  almost  a 
marsh.  At  high  water  the  stream  overflows  the  low  banks, 
and  it  is  not  till  half-tide  that  the  ebb  is  enough  to  reduce 
the  St.  John's  to  its  normal  level.  The  right  bank  is 
higher  ;  the  fields  of  maize  are  above  the  level  of  the 
periodical  floods,  which  prevent  any  tillage  being  attempted. 
It  might  even  be  called  a  ridge,  along  which  rise  the  few 
houses  of  Mandarin;  and  the  ridge  ends  in  a  cape  projecting 
into  the  stream. 

Below  numerous  islands  occupy  the  bend  of  the  river, 
^nd,  reflecting   the  white    canopies    oi"  their  magnificent 


LAST  WORDS  AND  A  LAST  SIGH.  233 

magnolia-trees,  the  river  divided  into  these  channels  runs 
in  or  out  with  the  tide. 

After  examining  the  western  arm,  Gilbert  and  Mars  were 
making  their  way  along  the  main  bank ;  they  were  assuring 
themselves  that  no  creek  opened  up  beneath  the  branches 
of  the  tulip-trees.  Up  to  the  present  they  had  seen  nothing 
but  the  wide  marshes  of  the  lower  river,  valleys  bristling 
with  tree-ferns  and  liquidambars,  whose  early  blossoms, 
mingling  with  the  garlands  of  serpentarias  and  aristolochias, 
impregnated  the  air  with  their  penetrating  perfumes.  But 
the  water  was  of  no  depth  ;  it  was  running  off  in  tiny 
streams,  and  the  ebb  would  soon  leave  the  ground  quite 
dry.  Among  the  streams  were  a  few  huts,  which  did  not 
seem  to  have  been  recently  occupied,  although  it  seemed 
as  though  a  good  many  animals  had  made  it  their  home. 
There  v/ere  dogs  barking,  and  cats  mewing,  and  frogs 
croaking,  and  snakes  hissing,  but  there  were  neither  dogs 
nor  cats,  nor  frogs  nor  snakes,  for  the  cries  were  the  call  of  the 
cat-bird, a  sort  of  thrush  with  a  black  head  and  orange  throat. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  boat 
was  alongside  a  thick  ckinip  of  reeds,  when  a  powerful 
stroke  of  the  gaff  from  Mars  cleared  away  a  heap  of  ver- 
dure that  had  seemed  to  be  impenetrable.  Beyond  was  a 
sort  of  backwater  some  half-acre  in  extent,  where  the  sun 
never  penetrated  through  the  dome  of  tulip-trees. 

"  I  did  not  know  of  this  pond,"  said  Mars,  rising  so  as  to 
look  round  the  banks. 

"Let  us  explore  it  then,"  said  Gilbert.  "It  ought  to 
communicate  with  that  row  of  lagoons,  which  may  he  fed 
by  some  creek  u{)  v/hich  we  may  find  our  way." 

"  That  is  so,"  said  Mars,  "  and  I  see  an  opening  over 
there  to  the  north-west." 

"  Do  you  know  w'lere  we  are  ?  " 

"Not  exactly,  unless  this  is  what  they  call  Black  Creek  ; 
but  I  thought,  like  everybody  else,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
get  into  it,  and  that  it  had  no  j:;ommuaication  with  the 
St  John's-." 

"  Had  there  not  used  to  be  a  blockhouse  here,  to  keep 
the  Seminoles  in  check  ?  " 

F    2 


234  NORTH    AND   SOUTH. 

/'  Somewhere,  yes.  But  that  was  years  ago,  and  the 
e!itr;mce  to  the  creek  is  shut  and  the  fortress  abandoned. 
I  have  never  been  there,  but  it  is  all  in  ruins.'' 

"Let  us  get  there."  said  Gilbert. 

"We'll  try,"  said  Mars,  "although  it  will  be  difficult  to 
do  so.  The  water  will  soon  be  off,  and  the  marsh  will  not : 
give  very  good  footing." 

"  Well,  if  there  is  not  enough  water,  we'll  stop  in  the 
boat." 

"  We  must  not  lose  any  time  ;  it  is  three  o'clock,  and  the 
night  soon  makes  under  these  trees." 

It  was  indeed  Black  Creek  into  which,  by  a  lucky  stroke 
of  the  boat-hook,  Gilbert  and  Mars  had  found  an  entrance. 
The  lagoon  was,  as  we  know,  only  practicable  for  light 
skiffs  such  as  that  used  by  Squambo  when  he  and  his 
master  ventured  on  the  St.  John's.  To  reach  the  block- 
house in  the  middle  of  the  creek,  a  knowledge  of  the 
thousand  twists  and  turns  was  necessary,  and  for  many 
years  no  one  had  ventured  to  attempt  such  a  thing.  The 
existence  of  the  fortress  had  dropped  out  of  recollection, 
and  hence  its  security  for  the  .strange  malignant  personage 
who  had  made  it  his  home. 

To  steer  up  the  labyrinth  required  the  thread  of 
Ariadne,  for  it  was  always  in  darkness,  even  when  the 
.sun  was  on  the  meridian.  Without  the  thread,  chance 
alone  could  reveal  the  central  island  ;  and  it  was  to  chance 
that  Gilbert  and  iMars  h;'.d  to  trust.  When  they  were  out 
of  the  first  pond  they  entered  a  series  of  channels,  and 
paddled  on,  urged  by  some  secret  presiiutiment.  As  they 
were  going  to  explore  the  whole  country,  it  would  never 
do  to  leave  this  lagoon  unknown. 

In  about  half  an  hour  the  boat  liad  gone  a  mile.  More 
than  once  some  bank  had  blocked  the  way,  and  t'ley  had 
had  to  paddle  back  and  try  another  channel.  Strong  as  he 
was,  the  half-braed  felt  tliat  he  wanted  a  rest  after  his 
efiorts.  Ikit  he  would  not  stop  until  he  had  reached  a 
larger  island  than  the  rest,  where  a  few  ra)s  of  the  sun 
found  their  way  through  the  trees. 

"That  is  queer,"  .said  he. 


LAST  WORDS  AND  A  LAST  SIGH.  235 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  aslced  Gilbert. 

"  There  are  signs  of  cultivation  on  that  island." 

Soon  they  landed  on  a  less  marshy  bank  than  most  of 
the  others. 

Mars  was  not  mistaken.  There  were  traces  of  culture. 
A  few  yams  were  visible  here  and  there  ;  there  were  four 
or  five  furrows  in  the  soil;  a  pick  was  sticking  in  the 
ground. 

"  The  creek  is  inhabited  !  "  said  Gilbert. 

"  It  looks  like  it.  At  any  rate,  it  is  known  to  some 
backwoodsmen  or  Indians  who  grow  vegetables." 

"  Then  they  may  have  built  houses,  cabins — " 

"  If  there  is  one  to  be  found  we  shall  find  it." 

It  was  of  great  interest  to  discover  what  sort  of  people 
lived  at  Black  Creek,  Were  they  hunters  from  the  lower 
country,  or  were  they  Seminoles,  who  still  live  in  the 
marshy  parts  of  Florida  ? 

Without  thinking  of  returning,  Gilbert  and  Mars  got 
back  into  the  boat,  and  followed  up  the  curves  of  the  creek, 
peering  into  the  thick  of  the  bushes  in  every  direction. 
Sometimes  they  thought  they  saw  a  house,  but  it  was  only 
a  curtain  of  verdure  stretching  from  tree  to  tree.  Some- 
times they  thought  a  man  was  looking  at  them,  but  it  was 
only  a  twisted  root  with  an  outline  in  the  shape  of  a  human 
figure.  Perhaps  what  was  hidden  from  their  eyes  would 
reveal  itself  to  their  ears  ?  The  least  noise  in  this  deserted 
place  would  reveal  a  man's  presence. 

Half  an  hour  after  their  first  halt  they  reached  the 
central  island.  The  blockhouse  was  so  completely  hidden 
in  the  trees  that  nothing  could  be  seen  of  it.  It  seemed 
as  though  the  creek  ended,  and  that  further  passage  was 
impracticable. 

"  I  do  not  think  we  can  go  further,"  said  Mars  ;  "  there  is 
no  water." 

"  But,"  said  the  officer,  **  we  cannot  have  been  wrong 
about  that  cultivated  patch.  People  come  to  this  creek. 
They  may  have  been  here  recently  ?  Perhaps  they  are 
here  now .? " 

"  Perhaps ;  but  we  must  make  the  best  of  the  daylight 


236  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

to  get  back  to  the  St.  John's.  Night  is  coming  on.  The 
darkness  will  soon  be  thick,  and  how  can  we  then  make 
out  the  way  ?  I  think  we  had  better  return  and  come 
back  first  thing  to-morrow  morning.  Let  us  go  back,  as  i 
usual,  to  Castle  House.  We  can  tell  them  what  we  have 
seen,  and  prepare  to  explore  Black  Creek  with  better 
chance  of  success — " 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  best     But  before  we  go  I  should  like — " 

Gilbert  was  standing  motionless,  taking  a  last  look  under 
the  trees,  and  he  was  about  to  give  the  order  to  put  off 
when  he  stopped  Mars  by  a  gesture. 

The  half-breed  stood  up  and  listened. 

A  cry,  or  rather  a  sort  of  groan,  was  heard  which  could 
not  be  confounded  with  that  of  a  beast  of  the  forest.  It 
was  a  cry  of  despair  and  lamentation,  the  appeal  of  a 
human  being  in  great  pain,  the  last  appeal  of  a  voice 
about  to  be  silent  for  ever. 

"  That  is  a  man  !  "  said  Gilbert  "  He  wants  help  I 
Perhaps  he  is  dying." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mars.  "  We  must  go  to  him.  We  must 
find  out  who  he  is.     Jump  ashore  ! " 

This  was  done  in  a  moment  The  painter  was  hitched 
on  to  a  stump,  and  they  were  up  the  bank  and  under  the 
trees  and  looking  at  the  footprints  of  men  as  revealed  by 
the  last  rays  of  the  sun.  They  followed  these  up.  Now 
and  then  they  stopped  and  listened.  Could  they  hear  the 
noise  ?  They  listened  again.  They  heard  it  close  by,  very 
ne.ir  them  now  ;  the  darkness  was  growing  deeper,  but 
they  would  reach  the  spot  from  which  the  sounds  came. 

Suddenly  a  more  doleful  cry  was  heard.  There  was  no 
mistake  about  the  direction.  In  a  few  steps  Gilbert  and 
Mars  were  throuL,^h  a  thicket  and  in  the  presence  of  a  man 
stretched  on  the  ground  near  a  palisade. 

Stabbed  in  the  chest  the  blood  was  flowing  from  him, 
and  formed  a  pool  around.  The  last  breath  was  on  his 
lips.     He  had  but  a  few  moments  to  live. 

Gilbert  and  Mars  stooped  over  him.  He  opened  his 
eyes  and  vainly  tried  to  answer  the  questions  put  to 
him. 


LAST  WORDS  AND  A  LAST   SIGH.  237 

"  We  must  see  this  man  ! "  said  Gilbert.  "  Get  a  torch  ; 
set  a  knot  on  fire  !  " 

;  Mars  had  already  snapped  off  a  resinous  bough  from 
lOne  of  the  trees  that  grew  in  such  numbers  on  the  island. 
He  lighted  it  with  a  match,  and  its  smoky  flame  illuminated 
the  gloom. 

Gilbert  knelt  near  the  dying  man.  He  was  a  negro,  a 
slave,  and  still  young.  His  shirt  lay  open  and  showed  the 
gash  made  by  the  knife.  The  wound  was  mortal,  for  the 
lung  was  pierced. 

"  Who  are  you  ^     Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  Gilbert 

No  reply. 

"  Who  stabbed  you  ?  " 

The  slave  could  not  utter  a  word. 

Mars  swung  round  the  torch  to  recognize  the  place  where 
the  murder  had  been  committed. 

He  then  saw  the  palisade,  and  through  the  open  door 
caught  sight  of  the  dim  outline  of  the  blockhouse. 

"  The  fortress  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

And  leaving  his  master  near  the  dying  slave,  he  rushed 
through  the  door. 

In  an  instant  he  had  entered  the  blockhouse,  been  in  the 
central  redoubt,  and  into  all  the  rooms.  In  one  he  found 
the  remains  of  a  fire.  The  fortress  had  therefore  been 
recently  occupied  ;  but  by  whom  ?  Floridans  or  Seminoles  .? 
That  must  be  ascertained  immediately,  and  from  the 
wounded  man.  Who  were  his  murderers  ?  They  had  fled 
within  the  last  hour  or  so. 

Mars  ran  out  of  the  blockhouse  and  round  the  palisade 
in  the  enclosure.  But  no  one  did  he  find.  If  he  and 
Gilbert  had  come  earlier  in  the  day,  they  might  have  dis- 
covered the  inhabitants  of  this  fortress,  but  now  they  were 
too  late. 

The  half-breed  returned  to  his  master,  and  told  him  tliey 
were  at  the  blockhouse  of  Black  Creek. 

"Can  the  man  speak?"  he  asked. 

"  No  ;  he  has  lost  consciousness,  and  I  don't  think  he 
will  regain  it." 

"Try  and  make  him,"  said  Mars.     "There  is  a  secret 


238  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

here  we  must  know,  and  no  one  can  tell  us  when  that 
unfortunate  man  is  dead." 

"  Yes  !     Let  us  take  him  into  the  blockhouse.     He  may 

come  to  himself  there.     We  cannot  let  him  die  out  here." 

"  You  hold  the  torch,  Mr.  Gilbert ;  I  can  carry  him." 

Gilbert  held  the  burning  bough.     The  half-breed  lifted  'i 

the  inert   body  in    his  arms,   mounted    the  steps   of  the  ** 

postern,  entered  the  embrasure,  and  laid  down  his  burden  | 

in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  redoubt.  ;< 

The  dying  man  was  laid  on  a  bed  of  herbs,  and  Mars  : 

put  his  flask  to  his  mouth.  ■> 

The  heart  still  beat  but  feebly,  and  at  long  intervals.  •* 

Life  was  failing.     Would  his  secret  escape  him  with  his  f 

last  sigh  ?  I 

The  few  drops  of  brandy  seemed  to  give  him  new  life,  | 

His  eyes  opened.     He  fixed   them  on  Mars  and  Gilbert,   ■ 

and  strove  to  fight  with  death.     He  would  speak  !     Some>  '.^ 

vague  sounds  escaped  from  his  lips — a  name,  perhaps  !  ■ 

"  Speak  !     Speak  !  "  said  Mars.  '• 

The  excitement  of  the  half-breed  was  truly  inexplicable.  ] 

It  seemed  as  though   the  task  to  which  he  had  devoted  1 

his  life  depended  on  the  last  words  of  this  dying  man.  'i 

The  young  slave  in  vain  endeavoured  to  utter  a  word.    • 

He  had  not  the  strength. 

At  this  moment  Mars  noticed  a  slip  of   paper  in  his"  s 
waistcoat  pocket.  j 

To  seize  this  paper,  open  it,  read  it  by  the  light  of  the   | 
torch,  was  the  work  of  an  instant. 

There  were  a  few  words  on  it.  ': 

"  Carried  off  by  Texar  from   Marine  Creek — taken  to  i 

the  Everglades — to  Carneral  Island — message  given  to  the  1 

young  slave — for  Mr.  Burbank."  ^  j 

The  handwriting  Mars  knew  well.  !l 

'•  Zermah  !  "  he  exclaimed.  \ 

At  this  name  the  dying  man  opened  his  eyes,  and  his   j 

head  fell  in  sign  of  affirmation.  \ 

Gilbert  raised  him  a  little,  and  asked, —  ^ 

"  Zermah  ? "  -^ 

"Yes."  I 


LAST  WORDS  AND  A   LAST  SIGH.  239      .] 

"AndDy?" 

"  Yes."  i 

"Who  stabbed  you?"  ■ 

"  Texar."  1 

And  that  was  the  poor  slave's  last  word.    'He  fell  back 
dead. 


240  NORTH  AND  SOUTH, 


\ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FROM  CAMDLESS   BAY  TO  LAKE  WASHINGTON. 

It  was  not  till  just  upon  midnight  that  Gilbert  and  Mars 
returned  to  Castle  House.  Great  had  been  their  difficulty 
in  getting  out  of  Black  Creek.  When  they  left  the  block- 
house night  had  begun  to  fall  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  John's, 
and  beneath  the  trees  of  the  lagoon  the  darkness  was 
complete. 

Mars  took  the  boat  back  among  the  shoals  and  islets, 
guided  by  a  sort  of  instinct,  without  which  he  would  never 
have  reached  the  river.  Twenty  times  and  more  had  he 
to  stop  before  a  barrier  he  could  not  pass,  and  return  by 
the  way  he  had  come  in  search  of  a  practicable  channel. 
He  had  to  light  resinous  pine-knots,  and  stick  them  in  the 
bow  of  the  boat,  so  as  to  throw  some  light  on  his  course. 
The  difficulty  was  greatest  where  he  had  to  find  the  only 
mouth  by  which  the  waters  joined  the  St.  John's.  The 
gap  in  the  reeds  by  which  they  had  entered  a  few  hours 
before  proved  unrecognizable  ;  but  luckily  the  tide  was 
ebbing,  and  the  boat  floated  out  with  the  stream.  Three 
hours  afterwards  they  were  at  Camdless  Bay. 

At  Castle  House  neither  James  Burbank  nor  his  people 
had  gone  to  bed.  They  were  waiting  anxiously  for  their 
long-delayed  return.  Gilbert  and  Mars  came  back  every 
night,  why  had  they  not  come  now  ?  Had  they  found  a 
clue? 

At  last  they  arrived,  and,  as  they  entered,  all  in  the  room 
rushed  towards  them. 

**  Well,  Gilbert .? "  said  James  Burbank. 

"  Father,  Alice  was  not  mistaken.  It  was  Texar  who 
carried  off  my  sister  and  Zermah." 

"You  have  the  proof?  " 


FROM  CAMDLESS  BAY  TO  LAKE  WASHINGTON.      241 

"Read!" 

And  Gilbert  held  out  the  scrap  of  paper  with  the  few 
words  in  the  half-breed's  writing. 

"  Yes,"  continued  he.  "  Doubt  is  no  longer  possible.  It 
was  the  Spaniard  !  And  he  took  or  caused  to  be  taken 
his  two  victims  to  the  blockhouse  at  Black  Creek.  There 
they  have  been  living  isolated  from  all.  A  poor  slave  to 
whom  Zermah  had  trusted  this  paper,  that  it  might  reach 
Castle  House,  and  from  whom  she  doubtless  learnt  that 
Texar  was  taking  them  to  Carneral  Island,  has  paid  with 
his  life  for  his  devotion.  We  found  him  dying,  stabbed  by 
Texar,  and  now  he  is  dead.  But  if 'Dy  and  Zermah  are 
not  at  Black  Creek  we  know  at  least  where  they  have 
gone.  They  are  in  the  Everglades,  and  there  we  must 
find  them.     To-morrow  we  must  start." 

"  We  are  ready,  Gilbert." 

"  Then  to-morrow  let  it  be." 

Hope  had  returned.  There  would  now  be  no  fruitless 
endeavours.  Mrs.  Burbank,  being  told  of  what  had  hap- 
pened, began  to  revive  ;  and  she  had  strength  enough  to 
rise  from  her  bed  and  kneel  and  thank  Heaven. 

According  to  Zermah,  it  was  Texar  in  person  who  had 
been  in  command  at  the  capture  at  Marine  Creek.  He  it 
really  was  whom  Alice  had  seen.  But  how  could  this  be 
reconciled  with  the  Spaniard's  alibi .?  How  could  he  have 
been  a  Federal  prisoner  at  the  time  the  crime  was  com- 
mitted.?  Evidently  the  alibi  was  false  like  the  others. 
But  how  could  it  be  explained  ?  What  was  the  secret  oi 
Texar's  ubiquity  ? 

It  mattered  little  after  all.  It  had  now  been  ascertamed 
that  the  half-breed  and  child  had  been  taken  first  to  the 
blockhouse  at  Black  Creek,  and  that  now  they  had  gone 
to  Carneral  Island.  There  they  must  seek  for  them; 
there  they  must  take  Texar  by  surprise.  This  time 
nothing  must  hinder  them  from  visiting  him  with  the 
just  punishment  of  his  crimes  which  he  had  so  long 
deserved. 

And  there  was  not  a  day  to  lose.  From  Camdless  Bay 
to  the  Everglades   the   distance  was   considerable.     The 


242  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

voyage  would  take  many  days.  Fortunately  the  expedi- 
tion had  been  organized  carefully  and  was  ready. 

Carneral  Island  was  shown  by  the  maps  to  be  on  Lake 
Okee-cho-bee, 

The  Everglades  are  in  a  marshy  region  bordering  on 
Lake  Okee-cho-bee,  a  little  below  the  twenty-seventh 
parallel,  in  the  southern  part  of  Florida.  P>om  Jackson- 
ville to  the  lake  was  about  four  hundred  miles.  And  it 
was  a  rarely  visited  district ;  in  fact,  at  this  epoch  it  was 
almost  unknown. 

If  the  St.  John's  had  been  navigable  to  its  source  the 
journey  would  not  have  been  a  difficult  one,  but  there  was 
every  chance  that  they  would  only  be  able  to  sail  up  it  for 
one  hundred  and  seven  miles  ;  that  is  to  Lake  George. 
Beyond  that  the  road  would  be  choked  with  islands  and 
shoals,  the  channel  might  even  sometimes  at  ebb  tide  be 
dry,  and  a  heavily-laden  boat  would  under  any  circum- 
stances find  it  difficult  to  pass.  If  it  were  possible  to 
reach  Lake  Washington,  in  about  the  twenty-eighth  degree 
of  latitude,  the  end  would  be  near.  But  it  was  only  wise  to 
prepare  for  a  journey  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  across 
an  almost  deserted  region,  where  there  were  no  means  of 
transport  and  no  likelihood  of  provision. 

On  the  20th  of  March  the  expedition  mustered  at  the 
landing-place.  James  Burbank  and  his  son  had  said  good- 
bye to  Mrs.  Burbank,  who  was  not  able  to  leave  her  room. 
Mr.  Stannard  and  his  daughter  and  the  assistant  overseers 
were  there,  and  Pyg  had  come  to  bid  farewell  to  Mr.  Perry, 
for  whom  he,  strange  to  say,  had  a  great  regard.  He 
remembered  the  lessons  he  had  received  as  to  the  incon- 
veniences of  a  liberty  for  which  he  was  not  ready. 

The  expedition  consisted  of  James  Burbank  and  his 
brother-in-law,  now  cured  of  his  wound,  his  son,  Mr.  Perry 
the  overseer.  Mars,  and  a  dozen  negroes  chosen  from  the 
most  devoted  of  those  on  the  estate — in  all,  seventeen. 
Mars  knew  enough  of  the  St.  John's  to  serve  as  pilot  below 
as  well  as  above  Lake  George.  The  blacks  were  all  ex- 
perienced boatmen,  and,  when  the  current  or  the  v/ind 
failed,  could  handle  the  oars  to  good  purpose. 


PROM  CAMDLESS  BAY  TO  LAKE  WASdlNtnON.     243 

The  boat,  one  of  the  lar-^est  on  the  plantation,  would 
be  worked  under  sail  whenever  the  wind  was  favourable 
She  carried  arms  and  ammunition  sufficient  for  James  Bur- 
bank  and  his  companions  to  fear  nothing  from  either  the 
Seminole  bands  or  Texar's  companions. 

Gilbert  embraced  Alice,  and  James  Burbank  clasped  her 
to  his  arms  as  if  she  were  already  his  daughter. 

"  Father— Gilbert,"  she  said,  "  bring  back  to  us  little  Dy  I 
Bring  me  back  ray  sister." 

"  Yes,  dearest  Alice,  yes  !  we  will  bring  her  back.  May 
heaven  protect  us  !  " 

Mrs.  Stannard  and  Alice  and  the  assistant  overseers  and 
Pyg  remained  at  the  landing-place  till  the  boat  put  ofif. 
They  signalled  their  last  adieux  as  before  the  north-east 
wind  and  served  by  the  flowing  tide  she  disappeared  behind 
the  little  point  at  Marin::  Creek. 

It  was  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  An  hour  after- 
wards the  boat  passed  the  village  of  Mandarin,  and  it  was 
nearly  ten  o'clock  when,  without  having  had  to  take  to  the 
oars,  she  was  off  Black  Creek. 

All  hearts  beat  as  they  ran  by  the  left  bank  of  the  river 
through  which  its  waters  flowed.  It  was  behind  those 
clumps  of  reeds  and  canes  and  mangroves  that  Dy  an;! 
Zermah  had  first  been  hid.  It  was  there  that  for  more 
than  a  fortnight  Texar  and  his  companions  had  so  closely 
concealed  them  that  all  trace  of  them  had  been  lost.  Ten 
times  had  James  Buibank  and  Stannard  and  Gilbert  and 
Mars  passed  by  that  lagoon  without  thinking  for  an  instant 
that  the  old  blockhouse  might  be  their  prison.  ^ 

This  time  there  was  no  reason  for  stopping.  Their 
search  took  them  now  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  south,  and 
the  boat  passed  Black  Creek  without  even  stopping. 

The  first  meal  was  taken  together.  The  boxes  contained 
twenty  days'  provisions,  and  there  were  a  number  of 
packages  ready  to  be  carried  when  the  journey  had  to  be 
continued  overland.  And  there  were  the  necessaries  for 
camping,  either  by  day  or  night",  in  the  ttiick  woods  with 
which  the  river-banks  are  clothed. 

At   eleven   o'clock,  when    the   tide    t'arn;;u,    the    wind 


244  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

remained  favourable,  but  the  oars  had  to  be  taken  to 
keep  up  the  speed.  The  blacks  bent  cheerily  to  their 
work,  and  propelled  by  ten  vigorous  pairs  the  boat  rapidly 
ascended  the  river. 

Mars  sat  silently  at  the  helm,  taking  the  boat  without 
hesitation  through  the  channels  among  the  islands  and 
islets  with  which  the  river  is  dotted;  Where  the  stream  was 
weakest  he  took  his  way  without  hesitation.  Never  did  he 
enter  an  impracticable  channel ;  never  did  he  risk  ground- 
ing on  any  of  the  shoals  which  the  ebb  would  soon  leave 
dry.  He  knew  the  river  up  to  Lake  George  as  well  as  he 
knew  it  below  Jacksonville,  and  he  piloted  the  boat  with  as 
much  certainty  as  he  had  piloted  Stevens's  flotilla  over  <"he 
bar. 

Hereabouts  the  St.  John's  was  deserted.  Since  the 
capture  of  Jacksonville  the  trading- boats  on  the  river  had 
been  stopped,  and  there  was  no  vessel  on  the  river  except 
for  the  use  of  the  troops  or  under  the  orders  of  Com- 
mandant Stevens.  Above  Picolata  even  these  would 
probably  have  disappeared. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  Picolata  was  reached. 
A  detachment  of  Northerners  occupied  the  pier.  The 
boat  was  hailed,  and  had  to  run  alongside.  Gilbert 
Burbank  made  himself  known  to  the  commanding 
officer,  and  showing  the  pass  with  which  he  had  been 
furnished  by  Commandant  Stevens,  was  allowed  to 
proceed. 

The  halt  lasted  but  a  minute  or  so.  The  tide  began  to 
turn,  the  oarsmen  stopped,  and  the  boat  under  sail  sped  on 
between  the  woods  that  fringed  the  stream.  On  the  left 
bank  the  forest  soon  ended  in  a  marsh.  On  the  right,  the 
forest  remained  thick  and  interminable,  and  they  would 
have  it  with  them  all  the  way  to  Lake  George.  At  times 
it  ran  back  a  little,  and  fields  of  rice  and  indigo  and  cotton 
filled  up  the  stretches  in  front,  and  bore  witness  to  the 
fertility  of  the  Floridan  peninsula. 

A  little  after  six  o'clock  a  bend  of  the  river  shut  out  the 
view  of  the  red  tower  of  the  old  Spanish  fort,  which  for  a 
century  and  more  had  been  abandoned. 


PROM  CAMDLESS  BAY  TO  LAKE  WASHINGTON.     245 

♦♦Mars,"  asked  James  Burbank,  ♦'you  are  not  afraid  to 
keep  to  the  river  dus  ing  the  night  ?  " 

♦'  No,  sir,"  said  Mars.  "  I  can  answer  for  myself  all  the 
way  to  Lake  George.  Beyond  that  we  shall  see.  We 
have  not  a  moment  to  lose,  and  as  long  as  the  tide  serves 
we  had  better  take  advantage  of  it  I  think  we  might  as 
well  carry  on  night  and  day." 

There  was  no  occasion  to  regret  this  decision.  All  night 
the  boat  kept  on  her  way  ;  when  the  tide  failed  the  oars 
were  got  out.  Neither  that  night  nor  the  following,  nor 
the  day  of  the  22nd  of  March,  nor  the  next  twelve  hours, 
were  marked  by  any  adventure.  The  upper  course  of  the 
river  seemed  to  be  quite  deserted.  The  route  lay  through 
a  long  forest  of  ancient  cedars,  whose  leafy  masses  agam 
and  again  came  close  to  the  bank  and  formed  a  thick  bower 
of  verdure.  Villages  they  saw  none.  Plantations  or 
isolated  habitations  there  were  none.  The  banks  of  the 
river  showed  no  trace  of  cultivation.  On  the  23rd,  at  day- 
break, the  river  broadened  out  into  a  wide  stretch  of  water, 
bordered,  as  usual,  by  the  interminable  forest.  The  country 
became  very  flat,  and  opened  out  till  the  horizon  was  miles 
away. 

They  had  reached  the  lake  which  the  St.  John's  traverses 
from  south  to  north,  and  from  which  it  drains  a  part  of  its 
waters. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mars,  "  this  is  Lake  George,  which  I  came 
to  when  I  was  with  the  expedition  to  the  upper  river." 

"  And  how  far  are  we  from  Camdless  Bay  ?  asked 
James  Burbank. 

"  A  hundred  miles,"  said  Mars.  ^^ 

"That  is  not  a  third  of  the  distance  to  the  Everglades, 
said  Carrol. 

"  Mars,"  said  Gilbert,  "  what  are  we  to  do  now  ?  Are 
we  to  leave  the  boat  and  take  to  the  bank  ?  That  will  be 
a  slow,  laborious  affair.  When  we  are  through  the  lake, 
cannot  we  keep  to  the  water  as  long  as  it  is  navigable  ? 
Shall  we  try  it,  keeping  ready,  of  course,  to  take  to  the 
shore  as  soon  as  we  run  aground  ?  We  might  as  well  try 
it.  What  do  you  think  ? " 
PART  IL 


246  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

"  We  will  try  it,  Mr.  Gilbert." 

And  they  could  not  have  done  better. 

There  would  be  time  enough  to  take  to  the  land.  To 
keep  to  the  water  meant  the  saving  of  much  fatigue  and 
delay.  And  the  boat  headed  out  across  the  lake,  keeping 
the  eastern  bank  well  in  view. 

Round  the  lake  the  vegetation  is  not  so  luxuriant  as  by 
the  river-side.  Extensive  marshes  stretch  away  almost 
out  of  sight.  Some  portions  of  the  soil,  less  exposed  to 
the  invasion  of  the  waters,  are  carpeted  with  black  mosses, 
from  which  spring  violet  clouds  of  tiny  fungi  growing  in 
millions.  Only  the  waterfowl  could  venture  across  these 
marshes,  and  they  were  alive  with  infinite  numbers  of  teal 
and  duck  and  snipe.  If  the  expedition  ran  short  of  provi- 
sions, here  was  enough  to  fill  the  vacancy  without  difficulty. 
Rut  to  follow  the  game  on  land  they  would  have  to  risk 
meeting  with  armies  of  dangerous  snakes,  whose  hissings 
could  be  even  heard  in  the  boat,  and  whose  ravenous 
enemies,  the  white  pelicans,  rose  in  flocJcs  along  the  margin 
of  the  lake. 

The  boat  slipped  along  rapidly  under  sail  with  the  wind 
from  the  north.  The  breeze  was  so  fresh  that  the  oars 
were  not  needed  throughout  the  day,  and  when  evening 
came  the  thirty  miles  which  Lake  George  measures  from 
north  to  south  had  been  traversed  without  fatigue. 

About  six  o'clock  James  Burbank  and  his  men  had 
reached  the  lower  angle  by  which  the  St.  John's  enters  the 
lake. 

If  they  stopped — and  the  stoppage  was  only  to  take 
breath  for  half  an  hour  at  the  outside — it  was  because  three 
or  four  houses  formed  a  village  at  this  place.  These  were 
occupied  by  some  of  those  nomadic  Fioridans  who  devote 
themselves  chiefly  to  hunting  and  fishing  at  the  beginning 
of  the  season.  At  Carrol's  suggestion  it  seemed  opportune 
to  ask  for  information  relative  to  the  passage  of  Texar. 

One  of  the  inhabitants  was  questioned.  During  the  last 
few  days  had  he  seen  a  boat  crossing  Lake  George  towards 
Lake  Washington  ;  a  boat  with  seven  or  eight  people,  one 
a  woman  of  colour,  and  a  little  child  of  white  birth  ? 


FROM  CAMDLESS  BAY  TO   LAKE  WASHINGTON.     247 

"Yes,"  said  the  man.  "  Two  days  ago  I  saw  a  boat  like 
that." 

"  Did  it  stop  here  ?  "  asked  Gilbert. 

"  No  !  It  kept  on  as  hard  as  it  could  go  to  the  upper 
river.     I  distinctly  saw  a  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arms." 

"  My  friends,"  said  Gilbert,  "  there  is  hope  for  us  !  We 
are  really  on  the  traces  of  Texar  ! " 

"Yes,"  answered  James  Burbank,  "he  is  only  forty-eight 
hours  in  front  of  us ;  and  if  we  can  keep  to  the  boat  we 
shall  gain  on  him." 

"  Do  you  know  the  river  about  Lake  George  ? "  asked 
Carrol. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  have  been  up  it  more  than  a  hundred 
miles." 

'*  Do  you  think  it  is  navigable  for  a  boat  like  ours  ?  " 

"  What  does  she  draw  ?  " 

"  About  three  feet/'  said  Mars. 

"  Three  feet/'  said  the  man  "  That  may  do.  If  you 
take  soundings  as  you  go,  you  will  get  into  L^ke 
Washington." 

"  And  then/'  said  Carrol,  "  how  far  shall  we  be  from 
Lake  Okee-cho-bee  ? " 

"  About  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles." 

"  Thanks,  my  friend." 

"  Let  us  get  on  board,  and  keep  to  the  boat  till  the  water 
fails  us." 

The  men  took  their  places.  The  wind  had  fallen  as 
evening  closed  ;  the  oars  were  got  out  and  pulled  with 
vigour.  The  narrowing  banks  began  to  disappear.  At 
nightfall  the  boat  had  made  many  miles  to  the  south. 
There  was  no  need  to  stop,  as  they  could  sleep  on  board. 
The  moon  was  almost  full.  The  Hght  was  enough  to  steer 
by.  Gilbert  was  at  the  helm  ;  Mars  was  in  front  with  a 
long  pole  in  his  hand,  sounding  all  the  time,  and  ordering 
the  boat  to  starboard  or  port  as  occasion  required.  He 
touched  ground  only  five  op  six  times,  and  each  time  got 
off  without  effort.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  the  sun  rose,  Gilbert  estimated  that  at  least  fifteen 
miles  had  been  rowed  during  the  nii^iiit. 


24^  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

If  the  river  continued  navigable  for  a  few  more  days,  \ 
James  Burbank's  chances  of  success  would  be  much  im-  ; 
proved.  But  several  serious  difficulties  arose  during:  the  day,  j 
On  account  of  the  windings  of  the  river,  there  were  many  > 
projecting  points  in  its  course  where  the  accumulated  sands  \ 
increased  the  number  of  shoals  that  had  to  be  avoided,  j 
The  wide  sweeps  necessary  to  avoid  these  made  the : 
journey  so  much  longer,  and  caused  delay.  The  wind,  j 
although  it  did  not  shift,  was  brought  round  so  by  the  j 
windings  of  the  stream  that  the  sail  could  not  always  be  ] 
used,  but  the  blacks  bent  to  their  oars  and  did  their  best : 
to  make  up  for  lost  time.  J 

And  many  obstacles  were  met  with  peculiar  to  the  j 
St.  John's.  There  were  the  floating  islands  formed  by  a ' 
prodigious  accumulation  of  that  exuberant  plant,  the 
"  pistia,"  which  certain  explorers  have  justly  compared  to  i 
a  gigantic  lettuce  spread  on  the  top  of  the  water.  This  • 
herbaceous  caruet  is  solid  enough  for  otters  and  herons  to 
disport  themselves  on  ;  but  it  would  never  do  to  run  into  j 
such  vegetable  masscs,  as  withdrawal  would  not  be  easy, ) 
and  so  Mars  did  his  best  to  avoid  them. 

On  the  river-banks  the  thick  forest  again  had  appeared.  \ 
But  noW  there  were  none  of  those  innumerable  cedars  with  [ 
their  roots  bathed  by  the  river.  There  were,  in  their  stead, 
quantities  of  pines,  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  belonging  i 
to  the  southern  species,  which  found  a  favourable  soil  amid  ! 
the  inundated  tracts  known  as  "  barrens."  The  mould  - 
there  has  a  peculiar  elasticity,  so  much  so.  as  to  throw  ; 
a  man  off  his  balance  si  ould  he  attempt  to  walk  over  it.; 
Fortunately  James  Burbank's  men  did  not  make  the  ex- 1 
periment.  j 

The  St.  John's  continued  to  carry  them  through  the  i 
regions  of  Lower  Florida.  The  day  passed  without  adven- ' 
ture.  So  did  the  night.  The  river  continued  to  be  com- ' 
pletely  deserted.  Not  a  boat  appeared  on  t'ne  waters.  In 
this  there  was  nothing  to  complain  of  Better  to  find  j 
nobody  in  this  distant  ct)untry  than  to  risk  disaster,  for  i 
the  backwoodsmen  and  professional  hunters  of  tiiese  parts.i 
are  people  to  be  treated  with  suspicion. 


tkOU  CAMDLESS  BAY  TO  LAKE  WASHINGTON.       249 

And  there  were  the  militia  from  Jacksonville  or  St. 
Augustine,  whom  Dupont  and  Stevens  had  driven  to  the 
south,  who  might  be  met  with,  and  the  meeting  would  have 
been  still  more  undesirable.  Among  them  Texar  certainly 
had  many  partisans,  who  might  attempt  to  avenge  him 
on  James  and  Gilbert  Burbank.  It  was  the  object  of  the 
expedition  to  avoid  fighting  with  every  one  except  the 
Spaniard,  and  only  to  fight  with  him  should  he  attempt  to 
carry  off  his  prisoners  by  force. 

Fortunately,  James  Burbank  was  so  well  served  by  cir- 
cumstances that  on  the  evening  of  the  25th  of  March  he 
reached  Lake  Washington.  There  the  narrowness  and 
shallowness  of  the  river  brought  the  boat  to  a  stop.  Two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  had,  however,  been  sailed  or  rowed, 
and  James  Burbank  was  now  only  a  hundred  and  forty 
miles  from  the  Everglades. 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  GREAT  CYPRESS   FOREST. 

Lake  Washington  is  about  a  dozen  miles  long.  It  is 
one  of  the  least  important  lakes  in  this  part  of  southern 
Florida.  Its  waters  are  not  deep,  and  they  are  crowded 
with  bushes  and  branches  brought  down  by  the  stream 
from  the  floating  fields,  where  the  snakes  are  in  such 
numbers  as  even  to  render  the  navigation  dangerous. 
Like  its  banks,  its  surface  is  almost  deserted,  and  seldom 
indeed  is  it  that  a  boat  from  the  St.  John's  ventures  so 
far. 

At  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  the  river  resumes  its 
course,  bending  more  towards  the  middle  of  the  peninsula. 
It  is  then  little  more  than  a  shallow  brook,  its  source  being 
some  thirty  miles  further  south,  between  the  twenty-eighth 
and  twenty-seventh  degrees  of  latitude. 

Below  Lake  Washington  the  St.  John's  is  not  navigable. 
Much  to  the  regret  of  James  Burbank,  the  stream  had  to 
be  abandoned,  and  the  land-road  taken  through  a  very 
diflficult  country,  often  no  better  than  a  marsh,  through 
endless  forests  with  the  ground  so  cut  up  with  rivulets  and 
quagmires  as  to  be  almost  impassable. 

The  expedition  landed.  The  weapons  and  bales  of 
provisions  were  divided  amongst  the  blacks.  Every 
one  knew  his  place,  and  there  would  be  no  cause  for 
delay.  All  had  been  thought  out  in  advance,  and  when 
a  halt  was  called  the  camp  could  be  pitched  in  a  few 
minutes. 

Gilbert  and  Mars  occupied  themselves  in  hiding  the 
boat,  so  that  *it  might  escape  the  observation  of  any 
Seminoles  or  Floridans  who  might  pass  that  way.  Under 
the  drooping  branches  of  the  trees  by  the  bank,  and  among 


THE   GREAT   CYPRESS   FOREST.  251 

the  gigantic  reeds,  it  was  easy  to    find  a  fitting  place  of 
concealment. 

There  was  another  boat  which  Gilbert  would  have  been 
glad  to  find — that  which  had  brought  Dy  and  Zermah  to 
Lake  Washington.  Evidently  Texar  must  have  abandoned 
it  somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood.  What  James  Burbank 
had  been  obliged  to  do  the  Spaniard  must  have  done. 
And  for  some  hours  in  the  afternoon  a  search  for  this  boat 
was  made,  in  order  to  procure  positive  proof  that  Texar 
had  reached  Lake  Washington. 

The  search  was  in  vain.  The  boat  could  not  be  found. 
Perhaps  the  Spaniard  had  destroyed  it,  thinking  it  would 
be  of  no  further  use  to  him. 

How  painful  must  the  journey  now  have  become  !  There 
was  no  longer  the  river  to  save  the  woman  and  child  from 
fatigue.  Dy,  carried  in  Zermah's  arms,  forced  to  follow  the 
men  who  were  used  to  such  marches  through  this  difficult 
country;  the  half-breed  subject  to  insults  and  violence,  and 
beaten  to  hasten  her  steps,  and  falling  often  to  save  the 
child  when  thinking  nothing  of  herself — all  this  was  pic- 
tured to  the  minds  of  those  in  pursuit.  As  Mars  thought 
of  all  this  he  grew  pale  with  anger,  and  muttered  to 
himself — 

'•  I  will  kill  Texar  ! " 

Would  he  were  at  Carneral  Island  face  to  face  with  the 
villain  whose  abominable  machinations  had  caused  such 
suffering  to  the  Burbanks,  and  injured  him  more  deeply 
by  taking  away  Zermah  his  wife  ! 

The  camp  was  formed  at  the  extremity  of  a  small  cape 
projecting  northwards  into  the  lake.  It  had  not  been 
thought  wise  to  risk  travelling  in  the  forest  during  the 
night,  and  it  was  decided  to  wait  for  the  dawn  before 
the  start  was  made.  At  four  o'clock  the  signal  to 
move  was  given.  The  bales  and  packages  were  dis- 
tributed amongst  half  the  crew,  it  being  intended  to 
work  in  relays.  All,  masters  and  men,  were  armed  with 
Minie  rifles,  loaded  with  a  bullet  and  four  buckshot, 
and  Colt  revolvers,  which  came  into  general  use  during 
the  war  of  Secession. 


252 


NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


Armed  in  this  way  they  were  equal  to  attacking  Texar 
even  at  the  head  of  sixty  of  his  men. 

It  had  been  decided  to  keep  to  the  course  of  the  river  as 
closely  as  possible.  This  would  take  them  to  the  south  in 
the  direction  of  Lake  Okee-cho-bee.  It  was  a  thread 
through  the  forest  labyrinth,  and  it  was  followed  easily 
enough.  Along  the  right  bank  was  a  sort  of  footpath,  a 
towing-path,  in  fact,  used  by  those  who  had  dragged  their 
light  canoes  up  stream.  Gilbert  and  Mars  went  first ; 
James  Burbank  and  Edward  Carrol  brought  up  the  rear ; 
Perry  was  in  the  middle  and  every  hour  saw  that  the  loads 
were  changed.  Before  the  start  a  rapid  breakfast  had 
been  taken,  a  stoppage  was  to  be  made  at  noon  for  dinner, 
and  another  at  six  o'clock  for  supper  and  camping,  if 
matters  did  not  look  promising  for  a  night-march.  That 
was  the  programme,  and  it  was  punctually  adhered  to. 

At  first  the  road  lay  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Washington,  low  and  flat,  and  almost  on  the  move.  Then 
the  forest  came  on,  but  of  slight  extent  compared  to  what  it 
was  to  be.  This  forest  was  chiefly  composed  of  thickets  of 
logwood  with  small  leaves  and  yellow  clusters,  and  with  the 
brownish  heart-wood  so  well  known  to  dyers  ;  then  there 
were  Mexican  elms,  guazumas  with  white  bouquets,  used 
in  so  many  wa5's,  and  with  a  shade  giving,  it  is  said,  a  most 
obstinate  cold.  Dotted  about  were  a  few  groups  of  cinchonas, 
liere  mere  shrubs  instead  of  magnificent  trees  as  in  Peru. 
Everywhere  rose  large  masses  of  bright-coloured  plants, 
such  as  gentians,  amaryllides,  and  asclepias  ;  all  plants  and 
flowers  yellow  or  white  in  Europe  being  here  of  different 
shades  of  red  and  purple. 

Towards  evening  the  thickets  disappeared,  to  give 
place  to  the  great  cypress  forest,  which  extends  to  the 
Everglades. 

During  the  day  they  had  walked  twenty  miles.  Gilbert 
asked  of  the  negroes  if  they  were  tired. 

"  We  are  ready  to  go  on,  sir,"  said  one  of  them,  answer- 
ing for  the  rest 

"  Are  we  not  likely  to  go  astray  during  the  night  ? " 
asked  Edward  Carrol. 


THE  GREAT  CYPRESS   FOREST. 


'■S3 


"  No,"  said  Mars.  "  We  have  only  got  to  keep  to  the 
river." 

"And  the  night  is  clear,"  said  the  young  officer,  "the 
sky  is  cloudless  ;  the  moon  will  rise  at  nine  and  last  till 
day.  Besides,  the  foliage  of  the  cypresses  is  not  very 
thick,  and  the  darkness  is  not  as  great  as  in  any  other 
forest." 

So  they  made  a  fresh  start.  The  next  morning,  after 
travelling  part  of  the  night,  they  stopped  to  breakfast  at 
the  foot  of  one  of  those  huge  cypress-trees  which  can  be 
counted  in  millions  in  this  region  of  Florida. 

He  who  has  not  explored  these  natural  marvels  can 
hardly  figure  them  to  himself.  Imagine  a  stretch  of  green 
more  than  a  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  with  tree-trunks 
straight  as  towers,  on  whose  tops  it  seems  almost  pos- 
sible to  walk.  Below  the  ground  is  wet  and  marshy  ;  the 
water  in  pools  on  the  impermeable  soil,  round  which 
and  in  which  are  crowds  of  frogs  and  toads,  and  lizards 
and  scorpions,  and  spiders,  turtles,  snakes,  and  aquatic 
birds.  Above  the  pools  flash,  like  shooting  stars,  bright- 
pluniaged  orioles  ;  in  the  trees  leap  squirrels  and  gather 
parrots,  who  fill  the  forest  with  their  noisy  screeches.  A 
curious  country  it  is,  and  difficult  to  penetrate.  The 
ground  must  be  carefully  studied,  for  a  foot-passenger  may 
sink  to  his  armpits  in  the  many  quagmires.  But  keeping 
a  sharp  look-out  in  the  clear  night,  the  expedition  advanced 
without  accident. 

The  river  still  gave  them  their  true  course.  And  this 
was  fortunate,  for  the  cypresses  all  resembled  each  other, 
with  their  twisted,  spiral  trunks,  hollow  below,  and 
throwing  out  their  long  roots  that  ridged  the  soil, 
and  rose  for  twenty  feet  or  more  in  cylindrical  stems, 
huge  ribs  with  knotty  handle  supporting  an  immense 
green  umbrella  that  gave  but  little  protection  from  either 
rain  or  sun. 

It  was  beneath  these  trees  that  James  Burbank  and  his 
companions  were  journeying  a  little  before  daybreak.  The 
weather  was  magnificent.  There  was  no  storm  to  fear, 
which  might  make  the  ground  an   impracticable  marsh, 


254  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

although  a  constant  look-out  was  necessary  to  keep  clear 
of  the  never-drying  bogs. 

During  the  day  no  trace  was  met  with  of  either 
Southerners  or  Seminoles.  It  might  be  that  the  Spaniard 
had  gone  down  the  left  bank,  which  was  clear  of  obstacles ; 
but  by  either  bank  the  road  lay  direct  to  the  country  men- 
tioned in  Zermah's  letter. 

The  night  came.  James  Burbank  halted  for  six  hours  ; 
then  the  rest  of  the  night  speedily  slipped  away.  The  road 
lay  in  silence  through  the  sleeping  cypress-grove.  Not  a 
breath  of  wind  troubled  the  dome  of  foliage.  The  moon 
outlined  on  the  ground  a  light  network  of  shadow.  The 
river  murmured  in  its  almost  level  bed  ;  many  shoals 
appeared  above  its  surface,  and  showed  that  it  could  be 
easily  crossed,  if  necessary. 

After  a  halt  of  two  hours,  the  march  was  resumed,  but 
during  this  day  the  guiding-thread  occasionally  gave  out, 
as  though  the  end  of  the  skein  would  soon  be  reached. 
The  river  was  a  mere  streak,  diving  every  now  and  then 
under  a  clump  of  cinchonas,  while  beyond  the  cypress- 
forest  shut  in  three-quarters  of  the  horizon.  At  last  it  gave 
out  altogether  ;  they  had  passed  its  source. 

And  now  they  reached  a  cemetery  reserved,  according 
to  native  custom,  for  the  blacks  who  had  become 
Christians  and  died  in  the  faith.  Here  and  there  were 
humble  crosses,  some  of  stone,  some  of  wood,  rising  from 
the  little  mounds  and  marking  the  graves  between  the 
trees.  Two  or  three  aerial  burials  had  taken  place,  and 
the  skeletons  were  gently  swaying  in  the  wind  on  their 
cradle  of  boughs. 

"  The  existence  of  a  cemetery,"  said  Carrol,  "  ought  to 
show  that  we  are  near  a  village — " 

"  Which  need  not  exist,"  said  Gilbert,  "  for  it  is  not  on 
our  map  ;  and  villages  often  disappear  in  these  parts,  owing 
to  the  inhabitants  abandoning  them  or  their  being  destroyed 
by  Indians." 

"  Gilbert,'^  said  James  Burbank,  "  what  shall  we  do  now 
the  St.  John's  has  gone  out  ?  " 

"We  must  follow  the  compass.      However   thick   the 


The  great  cypress  forest.  255 

forest  may  be,  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  lose  'our- 
selves/' 

"  Well,  let  us  get  on,"  said  Mars,  who  could  hardly  keep 
still  during  these  stoppages.  "  Let  us  get  on,  and  trust  to 
Providence." 

Half  a  mile  beyond  the  negro  cemetery  they  came  out 
on  to  a  green  plain,  and,  compass  in  hand,  struck  off  due 
south. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  day  no  incident  occurred. 
Up  to  then  nothing  had  been  found  to  gi\^e  a  clue  ;  would 
it  be  so  to  the  end  ?  Would  they  attain  their  object,  or 
would  the  end  be  despair  ? 

At  noon  they  stopped.  Gilbert,  taking  account  of  the 
distance  from  Lake  Washington,  estimated  that  they  were 
still  iifty  miles  from  Okee-cho-bee.  Eight  days  had 
elapsed  since  they  left  Camdless  Bay,  and  more  than 
three  hundred  miles  had  been  traversed  with  exceptional 
rapidity.  In  the  absence  of  heavy  rain,  which  would  have 
made  the  course  of  the  St.  John's  unnavigable,  and  flooded 
the  country,  and  in  the  clearness  of  the  moon,  everything 
had  been  favourable  for  the  journey. 

A  comparatively  short  distance  now  separated  them  from 
Carneral  Island,  and  they  expected  to  reach  it  during  the 
next  two  days.  What  was  to  happen  then  it  was  im- 
possible to  foresee. 

But  if  hitherto  good  fortune  had  been  theirs,  it  seemed 
as  though  they  were  now  to  meet  with  insurmountable 
difficulties. 

The  journey  had  been  resumed  as  usual  after  the  noon- 
day meal.  The  character  of  the  road  had  not  changed. 
There  were  still  large  sheets  of  water  and  quagmire  to 
avoid,  and  tiny  streams  to  be  crossed  knee-deep. 

About  four  o'clock  Mars  suddenly  stopped.  When  his 
companions  came  up  with  him  he  pointed  out  the  print  of 
feet  on  the  ground. 

" There  can  be  no  doubt,"  said  James  Burbank,  "that  a 
body  of  men  have  recently  passed  here." 

"  And  a  large  body,"  said  Edward  Carrol. 

"  Where  do  the  footsteps  come  from  ?     Where  do  they 


256  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

go  to  ? "  asked  Gilbert.     "  We  must  find  that  out  before 

we  do  anything  else." 

And  they  set  to  work  t9  do  so. 

For  five  hundred  yards  to  the  east  they  traced  the  foot- 
steps, and  it  seemed  useless  to  go  further.  It  was  clearly 
shown  that  a  band  of  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  men  had  come  from  the  Atlantic  coast  into  the 
cypress  grove.  The  footprints  were  continued  westward 
towards  the  Gylf  of  Mexico,  and  thus  seemed  to  lead 
across  the  peninsula,  which  is  here  only  two  hundred  miles 
wide.  It  WHS  apparent  that  these  men  had  camped  on 
the  very  spot  that  the  Burbanks  were  now  examining ; 
and  Gilbert  and  Mars  went  off  to  follow  the  westward 
trail  for  a  little.  To  their  astonishment,  they  found  that 
it  soon  turned  to  the  south.  When  they  returned,  Gilbert 
explained. 

"  We  are  preceded  by  a  body  of  men  who  are  going  the 
same  road  as  we  are.  They  are  armed,  for  we  found  the 
bits  of  the  cartridges  they  used  to  light  their  fires  with. 
Who  they  are  I  know  not.  All  I  can  say  is  that  they  are 
numerous,  and  are  going  to  the  Everglades." 

"  Are  they  not  a  band  of  wandering  Seminoles  ?'*  asked 
Edward  Carrol. 

"  No,"  answered  Mars  ;  "  the  footprints  show  they  are 
Americans." 

"  Perhaps  soldiers  of  the  Floridan  militia,"  said  James 
Burbank. 

"  That  is  to  be  feared,"  said  Perry.  "  They  seem  to  me 
to  be  too  many  of  them  to  belong  to  Texar." 

"  Unless  he  has  been  joined  by  some  of  his  partisans, 
who  must  have  come  to  him  in  hundreds,"  said  Carrol. 

"  We  are  only  seventeen,"  said  the  overseer.        «. 

"  What  does  that  matter  ? "  exclaimed  Gilbert.  "  If  they 
attack  us,  not  one  of  us  will  run."  ^ 

"No  !  no  !"  said  all  his  companions. 

Their  courage  was  "the  same  as  it  had  been  ;  but  it 
seemed  hard  to  meet  with  an  obstacle  when  so  near 
their  object.  And  what  an  obstacle  !  A  detachment  of 
Southerners,  come  to  join  the  Spaniard  in  the  Everglades 


THE  GRfiAT  CVPRESS  FOREST.  iS^ 

until  the  time  came  for  them  to  appear  again  in  the  north 
of  Florida.  Therein  was  the  danger.  All  felt  it  to  be  so. 
And  after  the  first  display  of  enthusiasm,  they  stood  silent, 
looking  at  their  chief,  and  asking  what  orders  he  would 
give.  VEven  Gilbert  shared  in  the  common  impression,  but 
notwithstanding,  he  gave  the  word — 
"Forward  I" 


s-SS  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   MEETING. 

Yes  ;  forward  they  must  go.  But  under  these  serious 
circumstances  every  precaution  was  taken.  It  was  indis- 
pensable to  clear  the  march,  to  reconnoitre  the  thickets  on 
the  road,  to  be  ready  for  anything?. 

The  weapons  were  carefully  examined  and  held  ready 
for  immediate  service.  At  the  least  alarm  the  packages 
were  to  be  dropped  on  the  ground  and  the  men  would 
fight  behind  them.  The  order  of  march  remained  as 
before.     Gilbert  and  Mars  formed  the  vanguard,  but  they 


kept  further  ahead  to  guard  against  surprise.  The  rate  of  f). 
progress  was  the  same,  but  it  seemed  better  not  to  follow 
in  the  same  track  as  ^he  others  had  gone.  Better  would  it 
be  if  they  did  not  meet  with  the  detachment  in  advance  of 
them  on  the  road  to  the  Everglades.  But  this  did  not 
seem  to  be  easy,  for  the  detachment  had  not  moved  in  a 
straight  line,  but  had  diverged  to  the  right  and  left,  showing 
a  certain  amount  of  hesitation,  though  the  general  advance 
was  unmistakably  southwards. 

A  day  passed.  Nothing  happened  to  bring  James 
Burbank  to  a  standstill.  He  had  kept  on  at  a  good  pace, 
and  had  evidently  gained  on  those  in  front  of  him.  Hour 
by  hour  the  traces  of  their  passage  became  more  recent. 
It  became  easy  so  see  how  often  they  had  halted  either  to 
camp  or  take  counsel. 

Gilbert  and  Mars  studied  the  trail  with  great  care ; 
almost  as  if  they  had  been  Seminole  trackers. 

"  We  are  certain,"  said  Gilbert,  "  that  neither  Zermah 
nor  Dy  are  with  this  party.  There  are  no  footprints  of  a 
horse,  and  if  Zermah  was  with  them  it  is  obvious  that  with 
Dy  in  her  anus  her  footprints  would  be  easily  recognizable;, 


A  MEETING.  ^  259 

and  we  should  see  Dy's  footsteps  at  the  halting-places. 
But  there  is  no  mark  of  woman's  foot  or  girl's  foot.  The 
detachment  carries  firearms.  We  can  see  the  marks  of  the 
stocks  on  the  ground.  But  I  notice  that  the  stocks  are 
like  those  on  the  rifles  carried  by  sailors.  Probably  the 
Florida  militia  has  such  arms  ;  if  not,  I  cannot  understand 
it.  One  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that  the  band  is  ten 
times  as  numerotis  as  ours,  and  we  must  be  very  careful  as 
we  get  nearer  to  them." 

And  everything  was  done  to  carry  out  his  suggestion. 
His  deductions  from  the  evidence  of  the  footprints  were 
correct.  It  was  obvious  that  neither  Dy  nor  Zermah  were 
with  the  detachment,  and  it  seemed  from  this  certain  that 
they  were  not  on  the  track  of  the  Spaniard.  The  men 
from  Black  Creek  could  not  be  so  numerous  or  so  well 
armed.  And  there  could  be  little  doubt  that  a  strong 
body  of  militia  were  on  the  march  to  the  Everglades, 
where  Texar  had  probably  arrived  a  day  or  two  before. 
And  these  militiamen  might  make  matters  serious  for 
James  Burbank. 

That  evening  they  halted  on  the  edge  of  a  narrow 
clearing,  which  had  been  occupied  an  hour  or  two  before- 
hand, to  judge  from  the  heap  of  scarcely  cold  cinders 
and  the  traces  of  the  camp.  When  this  was  ascertained, 
it  was  decided  not  to  resume  the  march  till  after  nightfall. 
The  night  was  dark.  The  sky  was  cloudy.  The  moon 
did  not  rise  till  late.  They  could  approach  the  detach- 
ment under  the  most  favourable  conditions.^  Could  they 
reconnoitre  the  camp  without  being  perceived  ?  Could 
they  get  round  it  during  the  night,  and  huiry  on  in 
front  so  as  to  be  first  at  Lake  Okee-cho-bee  and  Carneral 
Island } 

The  expedition,  with  Mars  and  Gilbert  ahead  as  scouts, 
started  about  half-past  eight,  and  silently  entered  into  the 
darkness  under  the  tr.es.  For  two  hours  they  kept  on, 
making  as  little  noise  as  possible, 

A  little  after  ten  o'clock  James  Burbank  stopped  with  a 
word  the  group  of  blacl  3  .  t  wiiose  head  he  and  the  over- 
seer were  walking.     His  son  and  Mars  were  coming  back 


26o  *  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

towards  him,  and  he  waited  anxiously  for  an  explanation 
of  their  rapid  retreat. 

The  explanation  was  soon  given. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  asked.     "  What  do  you  see  ? " 

"A  camp  under  the  trees,  and  the  fires  alight." 

"Far  off?"  asked  Carrol. 

"  About  a  hundred  yards." 

"  Did  you  see  who  they  were  ? " 

"  No ;  the  fires  arc  dyinj^^  down,"  said  Gilbert.  "  But  I 
do  not  think  we  are  wrong  in  saying  there  are  two  hundred 
men." 

"  Are  they  asleep  .' " 

"  Most  of  them,  but  they  have  got  men  on  the  watch. 
We  saw  the  sentinels  with  their  rifles  on  their  shoulders 
pacing  backwards  and  forwards  under  the  cypresses." 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ? "  asked  Carrol. 

"  We  must  first  of  all  reconnoitre  them,"  said  Gilbert, 
"and  see  who  they  are,  if  possible." 

"  I  am  ready,"  said  Mars, 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Perry. 

"  No  ;  I'll  go,"  said  Gilbert ;  "  I  would  rather  see  for 
myself." 

"  Gilbert,"  said  James  Burbank,  "  there  is  not  one  of  us 
who  would  not  risk  his  life  for  the  good  of  us  all  ;  but  to 
make  this  reconnaissance  with  some  chance  of  not  being 
seen,  only  one  ought  to  go." 

"  I'll  go  alone." 

"  No,  my  son.     I  would  rather  you  stayed  with  us." 

"  I  am  ready,  master !  " 

And  Mars,  without  another  word,  disappeared  in  the 
darkness. 

While  he  was  gone  James  Burbank  prepared  for  an 
attack.  The  bales  and  packacjes  were  laid  down  in  a  circle  ; 
the  bearers  took  to  their  weapons,  and  with  the  others  went 
into  hiding  among  the  trees,  awaiting  further  orders. 

From  where  James  Burbank  stood  he  could  not  see  the 
camp.  He  had  to  go  about  fifty  yards  before  the  fires 
were  visible ;  and  he  resolved  to  wait  till  the  half-breed  re- 


A  MEETING.  261 

turned  before  he  took  any  further  measures.  The  lieutenant 
was  more  impatient,  and  went  forward  a  few  yards. 

Mars  approached  the  camp,  gliding  silently  from  trunk 
to  trunk,  hoping  to  get  near  enough  to  see  how  the  men 
were  placed  and  who  they  were,  and  how  many  they  were. 
This  did  not  seem  to  be  difficult.  The  night  was  dark, 
and  the  fires  gave  but  little  light.  But  to  succeed  he  must 
get  almost  inside  the  camp. 

To,  have  the  free  use  of  his  limbs  as  much  as  ppssible  he 
had  taken  with  him  neither  rifle  nor  revolver.  It  would  be 
necessary  to  defend  himself  in  silence,  and  his  only  weapon 
was  his  axe. 

Soon  the  brave  half-breed  was  close  to  one  of  the 
sentries,  who  was  only  seven  or  eight  yards  from  the  fires. 
All  was  still.  Evidently  the  men  were  tired  after  their  long 
march,  and  were  asleep.  The  sentinels  alone  were  watch- 
ing at  their  posts  wilh  more  or  less  vigilance. 

For  a  moment  or  so  he  looked  at  the  man  who  was 
nearest  him.  He  was  standing  upright  against  a  cypress- 
trunk,  and  gave  no  sign  of  moving.  His  gun  was  resting 
on  the  ground,  and  he  seemed  half-asleep.  Was  it  possible 
to  slip  round  him  ? 

Mars  crept  stealthily  towards  him.  Suddenly  the 
crackling  of  a  dry  branch  revealed  his  presence. 

Instantly  the  man  raised  his  head  and  looked  to  the 
right  and  left       »  , 

Doubtless  he  saw  something  suspicious,  for  he  brought 
his  gun  to  his  shoulder. 

Before  he  could  fire  Mars  had  knocked  his  gun  up  against 
him  and  sent  him  flying  to  the  ground,  and  at  the  same 
time  clapped  his  large  hand  on  his  mouth  so  that  he  could 
utter  no  cry.  A  moment  afterwards  the  man  was  gagged, 
and  carried  hurriedly  to  James  Burbank. 

The  other  sentinels  took  no  notice  of  what  had  passed. 
Evidently  their  watch  was  a  negligent  one. 

Mars  laid  his  burden  at  his  young  master's  feet.  The 
blacks  crowded  up.  The  man  was  half-suffocated,  and 
when  the  gag  was  removed  he  could  not  for  a  moment  or 

PART  U. 


262  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

SO  say  a  word.  The  darkness  was  too  great  for  his  uniform 
to  be  seen. 

"  Help  !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Not  a  word  ! "  said  James  Burbank,  stopping  him. 
"You  have  nothing  to  fear  from  us." 

"  What  do  you  want  with  me  ?  " 

"  To  answer  truthfully  to  our  questions." 

"  That  will  depend  on  your  questions,"  said  the  man. 
"  Are  you  ^for  the  South  or  th^  North  ?  " 

"  For  the  North." 

"  I  am  ready  to  reply." 

Gilbert  took  up  the  examination. 

"  How  many  men  are  there  in  that  camp  ?  " 

"  Nearly  two  hundred." 

"  Where  are  they  going  ?  " 

"  To  the  Everglades." 

"  Who  is  in  command  ?  " 

"  Captain  Howick." 

"What,  Captain  Howick  of  the  WadasAf" 

"Yes." 

"  Is  it  a  detachment  of  seamen  from  Commodore  Du- 
;jont's  squadron  .'" 

"Yes;  Federals,  Northerners,  Anti-slavery  men, 
Unionists!"  said  the  man,  apparently  quite  proud  at  an- 
.nmcing  the  different  titles  of  the  followers  of  the  good 
r:use. 

And  so,  instead  of  a  body  of  Florida  militia,  of  Texar's 
■  artisans,  James  Burbank  had  met  with  friends,  with 
•)mpanions  in  arms,  whose  reinforcement  was  most  wel- 
)me. 

"  Hurrah  ! "  they  shouted  with  such  vigour  that  the 
-\  hole  camp  was  instantly  afoot. 

Suddenly  torches  flared  up  in  the  darkness.  Burbank's 
i-ncn  rushed  into  the  clearing,  and  Captain  Howick,  without 
..  \'.  (jrd  of  explanation,  held  out  his  hand  to  the  young 
!n' ten  ant,  whom  he  never  expected  to  meet  on  the  road  to 
• :  ,e  Everglades.  Explanations  did  not  take  long,  nor  were 
ttiey  difficult. 


•       A  MEETING.  263  '| 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  Lower  Florida,  captain  ?'"  asked  \ 
Gilbert. 

"  My  dear  Burbank/'  said  the  captain,  «  we  have  been  \ 
sent  on  an  expedition  by  the  commodore."  I 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  ? " 

"  From  Mosquito  Inlet,  and  we  have  been  to  capture  j 
New  Smyrna  in  the  interior  of  the  county."  ' 

"  And  where  are  you  going  now  ?  "  . 

"  To  punish  a  band  of  Southerners  who  took  a  couple  of  | 
our  boats  in  an  ambuscade,  and  to  avenge  the  deaths  of  \ 
our  brave  comrades."  ! 

And  Captain  Howick  related  what  Jain es  Burbank  could  .! 
not  know,  for  it  took  place  two  days  after  he  left  Camdless  1 
Bay. 

Commodore  Dupont  was,  it  will  be  remembered,  organ- . 
izing  the  effective  blockade  ot  the  coast.  In  doing  this  his  ; 
flotilla  was  stationed  off  Anastasia  Island,  above  St.: 
Augustine,  at  the  mouth  of  the  channel  separating  the: 
Bahamas  from  Cape  Sable  at  the  southern  end  of  Florida. ; 
But  this  did  not  seem  enough  to  him,  and  he  resolved  to 
q-ive  chase  to  the  Southern  vessels  in  the  smaller  rivers  of 
the  peninsula.  One  of  the  expeditions  on  this  service, 
consisted  of  a  detachment  of  seamen  and  two  boats.  The; 
Southerners  kept  a  careful  watch  on^their  proceedings,  and  1 
allowed  the  boats  to  get  well  up  into  the  wild  part  of| 
Florida.  To  advance  so  far  was  certainly  imprudent,  for : 
the  Indians  and  militia  were  in  great  force  in  the  neigh- 1 
bourhood,  and  the  result  was  that  they  fell  into  anj 
ambuscade  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Kissimmee,  about  eighty^ 
miles  westward  of  Cape  Malabar.  They  were  attacked  by; 
a  numerous  body  of  the  enemy,  and  the  two  officers  in' 
command  and  many  of  the  men  were  killed.  The  survivors' 
regained  Mosquito  Inlet  by  a  miracle,  and  Commodore 
Dupont  at  once  sent  off  an  expedition  to  avenge  the\ 
massacre  of  the  Federals.  j 

A  detachment  of  two  hundred  men  was  placed  under; 
command  of  Captain  Howick,  and  landed  near  Mosquito! 
Inlet.     It  soon  reached  New  Smyrna,  some  miles  from  the; 

i 
i 


264  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

coast,  and,  after  taking  such  measures  as  were  necessary, 
Captain  Howick  struck  off  to  the  south-west  in  chase  of 
the  party  who  were  responsible  for  the  Kissiminee  ma'ssacre, 
and  this  party  had  fled  to  the  Everglades. 

"  We  are  also  going  to  the  Everglades,"  said  Gilbert. 

"  You  ! "  said  the  officer.  "  What  are  you  going  to  do 
there  ?  '* 

"  Catch  a  few  scoundrels  and  chastise  them,  as  you  are 
going  to  do,  captain  !" 

"  Who  are  these  scoundrels  ? " 

"  Before  I  answer  that,  answer  me  one  question.  When 
did  you  leave  New  Smyrna  ?  " 

•'  Eight  days  ago." 

"  And  you  have  not  met  any  party  of  Southerners  on 
your  way  ? " 

"  No,  but  we  know  from  a  slire  source  that  detachments 
of  militia  are  hiding  in  Lower  Florida." 

"  Who  is  in  command  of  the  detachment  you  are  after  ? 
Do  you  know  him  .-* " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  And  if  we  catch  him  Mr.  Burbank  will  not 
be  sorry." 

"  Why  not  ? "  asked  James  Burbank. 

"  Because  he  is  the  Spaniard  the  court-martial  at  St. 
Augustine  acquitted  (or  want  of  evidence." 

"  Texar ! " 

"What  !  "  exclaimed  Gilbert,  "Texar  chief  of  the  parti- 
sans you  are  after  ?  " 

"  Himself!  He  was  the  author  of  the  Kissimmee  mas- 
sacre, at  the  head  of  some  fifty  fellows  like  him  ;  and  we 
ascertained  at  New  Smyrna  that  he  had  taken  himself  off 
to  the  Everglades."  • 

"  And  if  you  catch  him  what  are  you  going  to  do  ? " 
asked  Carrol.  • 

"  Shoot  him  on  the  spot,"  said  Captain  Howick.  "  That 
is  the  commodore's  order,  and  rest  assured  we  shall  execute 
it  without  delay." 

It  will  easily  be  imagined  what  an  effect  tliis  revelation 
produced  on  James  Burbank.  This  reinforcement  meant 
the  almost  certain  deliverance  of  Dy  and  Zermah,  the 


A  MEETING.  265 

assured  capture  of  the  Spaniard  and  his  accomph'des,  and 
the  inevitable  punishment  for  his  crimes. 

Gilbert  then  told  Captain  Howick  the  object  of  their 
expedition  to  Southern  Florida,  which,  in  the  first  place, 
meant  the  deliverance  of  Zermah  and  the  girl,  carried  off 
to  Carneral  Island,  as  the  half-breed's  letter  showed.  The 
captain  also  learnt  that  the  alibi  invoked  by  the  Spaniard 
at  the  court-martial  could  not  be  true,  although  they  could 
not  at  present  disprove  it.  But  with  this  massacre  at 
Kissimmee  there  seemed  to  be  no  chance  of  Texar  again 
escaping. 

An  unexpected  observation  of  James  Burbank's,  how- 
ever, led  to  somewhat  different  thoughts. 

**  Can  you  tell  me,"  he  asked  Captain  Howick,  "  when 
the  Federal  boats  were  attacked  ?  " 

"  The  massacre  took  place  on  the  22  nd  of  March." 

"  But  on  the  22nd  of  March  Texar  was  at  Black  Creek ! 
How  could  he  have  taken  part  in  the  massacre  at  Kissim- 
mee, two  hundred  miles  away  ? " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  the  captain. 

"  I  mean  that  Texar  could  not  have  been  at  the  head  of 
the  Southerners  who  attacked  your  men." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Mr.  Burbank.  The  Spaniard  was 
seen  by  some  of  the  men  who  escaped.  I  examined  them 
myself,  and  they  recognized  Texar  from  having  seen  him 
at  St.  Augustine." 

"  That  cannot  be,  captain.  The  letter  written  by  Zermah 
proves  that  on  the  22nd  of  March  Texar  was  at  Black  Creek." 

Gilbert  had  listened  without  a  word.  He  saw  that  his 
father  must  be  right.  The  Spaniard  could  not  have  been 
near  Kissimmee  on  the  day  of  the  massacre. 

"  What  does  it  matter .? "  he  said.  "  There  is  something 
aboi;t  the  man  which  at  present  we  cannot  understand, 
and  why  should  we  try  to  do  so  ?  On  the  22nd  of  March 
he  was  at  Black  Creek,  as  Zermah  says.  On  the  22nd 
he  was  at  the  head  of  a  party  of  Floridans,  two 
hundred  miles  away,  so  you  say.  Well,  be  it  so.  We  are 
agreed  that  he  is  now  in  the  Everglades.  Let  us  catch 
him  as  soon  as  we  can  1 " 


2^^  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"  Yes,  Gilbert,  that's  it,"  said  Captain  Howick.  "  And 
we'll  shoot  him  anyhow !     Let  us  be  off." 

The  fact,  like  the  others,  was  none  the  less  incompre- 
hensible. It  seemed  as  though  the  Spaniard  had  a 
double. 

Would  the  mystery  be  cleared  up  ?  In  any  case,  the 
only  thing  to  do  was  to  make  sure  of  Texar ;  and 
Howick's  seamen  and  Burbank's  negroes  fell  in  together, 
and  resumed  their  way  to  the  south. 


THE  EVERGLADES.  267 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  EVERGLADES. 

A  HORRIBLE  district  is  that  of  the  Everglades,  and  yet 
it  is  superb.  Situated  in  the  southern  part  of  Florida,  it 
extends  right  down  to  Cape  Sable,  the  extreme  point  of 
the  peninsula,  and  it  is  simply  an  immense  marsh.  The 
waters  of  the  sea  flood  it  in  wide  stretches,  when  the  storms 
of  the  Atlantic  or  the  Mexican  Gulf  beat  on  to  its  shores, 
and  mingle  with  the  waters  from  the  clouds  that  the 
winter  season  pours  down  in  cataracts.  And  in  conse- 
quence it  is  a  country  half  liquid  and  half  solid,  and  almost 
uninhabitable. 

But  let  it  not  be  supposed  that  it  is  barren.  On  the 
contrary,  it  is  on  the  surface  of  the  islands  in  the  marsh 
that  nature  asserts  her  rights.  The  malaria  is,  so  to  speak, 
conquered  by  the  perfumes  of  the  wonderful  flowers  ;  the 
islands  are  steeped  in  the  fragrance  of  a  thousand  plants, 
blooming  in  such  splendour  as  to  justify  the  peninsula's 
poetic  name.  And  it  is  in  these  healthy  oases  that  the 
Indians  take  refuge,  though  not  for  long  at  a  time. 

A  few  miles  beyond  the  frontier  of  this  territory  is  the 
wide  sheet  of  water  known  as  Lake  Okee-cho-bee,  which  is 
just  a  little  below  the  twenty-seventh  parallel.  In  one  of 
the  angles  of  this  lake  lies  Carneral  Island,  where  Texar 
fancied  he  had  an  unknown  retreat  in  which  he  could  defy 
pursuit. 

The  country  was  worthy  of  him  and  his  companions. 
When  Florida  belonged  to  the  Spaniards,  it  was  thither 
that  all  the  white  scoundrels  fled  from  justice.  Mixing 
with  the  native  population,  among  whom  there  still  were 
traces  of  Carib  blood,  they  made  common  cause  with  the 
Creeks  and   Seminoles  and  nomadic   Indians  who  were 


268  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

only  subdued  after  the  long  bloody  war  that  ended  in 

1845. 

Carneral  Island  seemed  safe  from  all  attack.  On  the 
eastern  side  it  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  narrow 
channel  about  a  hundred  feet  across,  and  the  only  means 
of  communication  was  a  heavy  boat  To  escape  by 
swimming  was  impossible,  for  no  one  would  dare  to  enter 
the  slimy  water  which  bristled  with  long  interlacing  plants 
and  swarmed  with  reptiles. 

Beyond  was  the  cypress  forest  with  the  ground  half 
under  water  and  traversed  but  by  narrow  paths  which  were 
by  no  means  easy  to  trace.  A  clayey  soil  sticking  to  the 
feet  like  glue,  enormous  trunks  of  fallen  trees  barring  the 
way,  and  a  suffocating  odour  of  mouldiness  were  among 
the  other  obstacles  to  be  overcome  in  the  approach,  And 
there  were  masses  of  formidable  plants,  such  as  the 
phylacias,  and  millions  of  pezizas,  gigantic  mushrooms, 
as  explosive  as  if  they  were  charged  with  guurcotton  or 
dynamite,  going  off  with  a  violent  report  at  the  slightest 
shock  and  filling  the  air  with  a  choking  cloud  of  tawny 
spores  that  give  the  human  skin  an  eruption  of  painful 
pustules,  so  that  the  spiteful  vegetables  have  to  be  avoided 
as  carefully  as  the  most  dangerous  animals  of  the  teratologic 
world. 

Texar's  dwelling  was  an  old  Indian  wigwam  built  on 
piles  under  the  branches  of  the  large  trees  in  the  eastern 
end  of  the  island.  Hidden  amid  the  foliage,  it  was  in- 
visible even  from  the  nearest  bank.  The  two  hounds 
guarded  it  with  as  much  vigilance  as  they  did  the  block- 
house at  Black  Creek,  and  trained  to  the  chase  of  men 
would  tear  in  pieces  any  one  attempting  to  approach  the 
wigwam. 

Two  days  had  passed  since  Zermah  and  little  Dy  had 
arrived.  The  journey  had  been  easy  enough  till  they 
reached  Lake  Washington,  but  after  entering  the  cypress 
forest  it  had  been  exceedingly  painful,  even  for  the  vigor- 
ous men  who  were  used  to  the  unhealthy  climate  and  the 
long  wearisome  advance  through  the  marsh.  What  the 
woman   and   child  had   suffered  can  be  imagined  !     But 


The  everglades.  269 

Zermah  was  strong,  brave,  and  devoted,  and  throughout 
the  journey  had  carried  little  Dy  whose  legs  would  soon 
have  failed  her  ;  and  when  she  reached  Carneral  Island  she 
was  almost  exhausted. 

And  after  what  had  passed  wheft  Texar  and  Squambo 
had  dragged  her  from  Black  Creek,  is  it  not  a  wonder  that 
she  still  held  out  ?  She  had  no  means  of  knowing  that 
the  letter  she  had  given  to  the  young  slave  had  fallen  into 
James  Burbank's  hands,  but  she  knew  that  he  had  paid 
with  his  life  for  the  act  of  devotion  by  which  he  had 
attempted  to  save  her.  He  had  been  surprised  at  the 
moment  he  was  starting  for  Camdless  Bay,  and  had  been 
mortally  wounded  ;  and  the  half-breed  had  said  to  herself 
thatv  now  James  Burbank  would  never  know  that  the 
Spaniard  was  going  to  Carneral  Island,  and  how  could  he 
get  any  clue  to  her  whereabouts  ?  How  then  could  she 
retain  the  shadow  of  a  hope  ?  Every  chance  of  safety 
seemed  to  have  vanished  in  this  region  whose  horrors  she 
knew  too  well.     And  no  escape  was  possible  ! 

The  little  girl  was  in  a  state  of  great  weakness  ;  and  in 
spite  of  Zermah's  constant  care,  the  fatigue  had  made  her 
ill.  Pale  and  emaciated  as  if  she  had  been  poisoned  by 
the  emanations  from  tlie  marshes,  she  was  no  longer  strong 
enough  to  remain  upright,  and  could  with  difficulty  utter 
but  a  few  words,  which  were  always  an  inquiry  for  her 
mother.  Zermah  could  no  longer  tell  her,  as  she  had  done 
for  the  first  few  days  after  her  arrival  at  Black  Creek,  that 
she  v/ould  soon  see  Mrs.  Burbank,  and  that  her  father, 
brother,  Miss  Stannard,  and  Mars,  would  soon  come  to  her. 
With  her  precocious  intelligence  rendered  more  acute  since 
the  dreadful  scenes  at  the  plantation,  Dy  saw  that  she 
had  been  torn  from  her  home  and  was  in  the  hands  of  a 
wicked  man,  and  unless  some  one  came  to  her  rescue  she 
would  never  again  see  Camdless  Bay.  And  so  Zermah 
knew  not  what  to  answer,  and  in  spite  of  all  she  coyld  do, 
saw  the  child  gradually  wasting  away. 

The  wigwam  was  only  a  huge  hut  which  in  the  winter 
season  arforded  no  adequate  protection.  The  wind  and 
the  raio  penetrated  it  on  all  sides.     But  in  the  hot  season 


270  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

which  was  now  coming  on  in  this  latitude,  it  at  least  pro- 
vided sheltv-r  from  the  heat  of  the  sun.  It  was  divided 
into  two  rooms  of  unequal  size.  One  was  narrow  and 
badly  lighted  and  did  not  communicate  with  the  open  air, 
but  with  the  other  room,  which  obtained  its  light  from  a 
door  that  opened  on  to  the  bank  of  the  narrow  channel. 
Zermah  and  Dy  had  been  lodged  in  the  small  room,  where 
a  litter  of  herbs  served  them  for  a  bed. 

The  other  room  was  occupied  by  Texar  and  the  Indian 
Squambo,  who  never  left  his  master.  For  furniture,  they 
had  a  table  with  many  jars  of  brandy,  and  glasses  and  a 
few  plates,  a  sort  of  cupboard  for  provisions,  a  half-squared 
tree-trunk  for  a  seat  and  two  bundles  of  herbs  for  beds.  The 
fire  necessary  to  cook  the  meals  was  made  on  the  stone 
hearth  outside,  in  one  of  the  angles  of  the  wigwam,  and  it 
proved  sufficient  for  the  preparation  of  the  dried  meat  and 
venison  that  a  hunter  could  find  on  the  island,  and  the 
fruits  and  vegetables  in  an  almost  wild  state,  just  enough, 
in  fact,  to  keep  them  from  dying  of  hunger. 

The  half-dozen  slaves  Texar  had  brought  with  him  from 
Black  Creek  slept  out  of  doors  like  the  dogs,  and  like  them 
served  as  guards  on  the  approaches. 

From  the  first  day  Dy  and  Zermah  were  allowed  to  go 
out  and  in  as  they  pleased.  They  were  no  longer  im- 
prisoned in  their  rooms.  But  they  were  watched.  The 
precaution  was  superfluous,  for  no  one  could  cross  the 
channel  without  using  the  boat  that  was  always  in  the  safe 
keeping  of  the  blacks.  And  as  she  walked  about  Zermah 
took  careful  notice  of  the  difficulties  of  escape. 

The  first  day  the  half-breed  was  never  out  of  sight  of 
Squambo  ;  but  she  did  not  see  Texar.  When  night  came 
she,  however,  heard  the  Spaniard  talking  to  the  Seminole, 
and  ordering  him  to  keep  a  strict  watch.  And  soon  all 
but  Zermah  were  asleep  in  the  wigwam. 

Up  to  then  Zermah,  it  should  be  said,  had  not  had  a 
single  word  spoken  to  her  by  Texar.  As  she  ascended  the 
river  towards  Lake  Washington,  .she  had  in  vain  asked 
him  what  he  v/as  going  to  do  with  lier  and  t'le  child.  And 
while  she  spoke    the   Spaniard   contented    himself  with 


THE   EVERGLADES.  271 

shrugging  his  shoulders  and  fixing  his  cruel  eyes  on  her, 
and  looking  as  if  he  scorned  to  answer.  But  Zermah 
had  no  intention  of  giving  in.  When  she  reached  Camera] 
Island,  she  resolved  to  attack  Texar  so  as  to  excite  his 
pity,  if  not  for  herself,  at  least  for  the  unfortunate 
child,  and  if  his  pity  failed  her  to  appeal  to  his  self- 
interest. 

An  opportunity  offered.  The  day  after  her  arrival, 
while  the  little  girl  was  asleep,  Zermah  walked  out  towards 
the  channel  by  the  side  of  which  Texar  was  then  standing 
and  giving  orders  with  Squambo  to  the  slaves,  who  were 
at  work  weeding,  for  the  water  was  so  choked  that  the 
barge  could  hardly  pass.  While  this  was  being  done  two 
of  the  negroes  were  striking  the  surface  of  the  water  with 
long  poles  so  as  to  frighten  away  the  reptiles  whose  heads 
appeared  every  now  and  then  above  the  surface. 

A  moment  afterwards  Squambo  left  his  master,  and 
Texar  was  also  going  away  when  Zermah  came  up. 

"  Texar/'  said  Zermah  firmly,  "  I  wish  to  speak  to  you. 
This  will  be  the  last  time,  doubtless,  and  I  beg  you  to  hear 
me." 

The  Spaniard,  who  had  just  lighted  his  cigarette,  did  not 
answer,  and  Zermah  having  waited  a  few  seconds  con- 
tinued,— 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  you  are  going  to  do  with  Dy 
Burbank .''  " 

No  reply. 

"  I  say  nothing  about  my  own  fate.  All  I  have  to  do 
with  now  is  that  of  this  child,  whose  life  is  in  danger,  and 
who  will  soon  escape  you." 

At  this  Texar  made  a  gesture  of  the  most  absolute 
incredulity. 

"  Yes,  very  soon,"  continued  Zermah.  "  If  not  by  flight 
it  will  be  by  death." 

The  Spaniard  took  a  long  whiff  at  his  cigarette,  and 
replied, — 

"  Bah  !  The  little  girl  will  be  all  right  after  a  few  days' 
rest,  and  I  reckon  on  your  care,  Zermah,  to  retain  its 
precious  existence  for  us." 


272  NORTH  AND  SOUTH, 

"  No,  I  repeat  Before  very  long,  the  child  will  be  dead, 
and  dead  without  any  profit  to  you." 

"Without  profit!"  replied  Texar,  "when  I  have  her 
far  from  her  dying  mother,  her  father  and  her  brother 
reduced  to  despair?" 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Zermah.  "  You  have  your  revenge, 
Texar,  but  believe  me,  it  would  be  more  to  your  advantage 
to  give  up  the  child  than  to  keep  her  here." 

"  What  is  that  you  say  ?  " 

"I  say  that  you  have  made  James  Burbank  sufifer 
enough  ;  that  now  it  is  your  interest  to  speak." 

"  My  interest  ?"  ■ 

"Certainly.  The  plantation  of  Camdless  Bay  has  been 
laid  waste.  Mrs.  Burbank  is  dying,  perhaps  dead  at  this 
moment  ;  her  daughter  has  disappeared,  and  her  father  is 
vainly  endeavouring  to  find  her.  All  this  has  been  done 
by  you,  Texar.  I  know  it !  and  I  have  the  right  to  tell 
you  so  to  your  face.  But  take  care  !  Your  crimes  will  be 
discovered  some  day,  and  think  of  the  punishment  that 
will  come  to  you  !  Your  best  interest  now  is  to  show  pity. 
I  do  not  speak  for  myself,  though  my  husband  will  not  find 
me  when  he  returns.  No,  I  speak  only  for  the  little  girl 
who  is  dying.  Keep  me  if  you  like,  but  send  the  child 
back  to  Camdless  Bay  to  her  mother  ;  then  they  will  never 
ask  you  about  the  past,  and  if  you  want  it  they  will  even 
pay  you  well  for  the  girl's  liberty.  If  I  take  upon  myself 
to  speak  like  this,  and  propose  this  exchange,  it  is  because 
I  know  James  Burbank  and  his  people  to  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts  ;  because  I  know  they  would  sacrifice  all  their 
fortune  to  save  the  child,  and  I  call  God  to  witness  they 
will  keep  the  promise  their  slave  has  made." 

"Their  slave.?"  exclaimed  Texar  ironically.  "There 
are  now  no  slaves  at  Camdless  Bay," 

"  There  are  ;  for  in  order  to  stay  with  my  master  I  re- 
fused to  be  set  free." 

"  Indeed,  Zermah,  indeed  ! "  answered  the  Spaniard. 
"Well,  since  you  do  not  mind  being  a  slave  we  can  under- 
iStand  each  other.  Six  or  seven  years  ago  I  wished  to  buy 
you  of  my  friend  Tickborn.  I  offered  for  you,  for  you  alone, 


THE  EVERGLADES.  273 

a  considerable  sum,  and  you  would  have  belonged  to  me 
ever  since  if  James  Burbank  had  not  got  hold  of  you. 
Now  I  have  you,  and  I  will  keep  you." 

"  Be  it  so,  Texar,''  said  Zermah.  "  I  will  be  your  slave. 
But  the  child  !     Will  you  not  give  her  up  ? " 

"The  child  of  James  Burbank  ! "  answered  Texar  in  a 
tone  of  the  deepest  hatred,  "  Give  her  up  to  her  father  ? 
Never!" 

"  Villain  !  "  exclaimed  Zermah  in  anger.  "  If  her  father 
does  not  take  her  from  you,  God  will ! " 

A  grin,  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  and  that  was  all  the 
Spaniard's  answer.  He  had  rolled  up  a  second  cigarette 
and  lighted  it  calmly  with  the  end  of  the  last,  and  strolled 
off  up  the  bank  of  the  channel  without  another  look  at 
Zermah,  who  would  have  struck  him  as  if  he  had  been  a 
wild  beast,  at  the  risk  of  being  massacred  by  Squambo  and 
his  companions,  had  she  only  had  a  weapon.  But  she 
could  do  nothing.  Motionless  she  stood  and  watched  the 
blacks  at  work-  Nowhere  a  friendly  face  ;  nothing  but 
the  faces  of  brutes  hardly  seeming  to  be  human.  And  she 
went  back  to  the  wigwam  to  resume  her  part  of  mother  to 
the  child  who  in  a  feeble  voice  was  calling  her.  She  tried 
to  console  the  poor  little  creature,  whom  she  took  in  her 
arms  and  animated  with  her  kisses  ;  and  then  she  brought 
the  child  outside  and  gave  her  a  warm  drink  made  on  the 
hearth.  All  she  could  do  in  her  state  of  destitution  she 
did.  Dy  thanked  her  with  a  smile — and  such  a  smile — 
sadder  than  if  it  had  been  tears. 

Zermah  did  not  see  the  Spaniard  again  all  that  day. 
And  she  did  not  seek  to  see  him.  What  good  would  it  do  } 
He  would  not  change  his  sentiments,  and  by  these  recri- 
minations things  might  become  worse.  For  though  up  to 
then,  during  her  stay  at  Black  Creek,  and  since  her  arrival 
at  Carneral  Island,  the  worst  treatment  had  been  spared 
her  and  the  child,  there  was  everything  to  be  feared  from 
such  a  man.  A  fit  of  anger  might  drive  him  to  the  greatest 
violence.  No  pity  could  be  expected  from  him,  and  as  his 
interest  did  not  stand  in  the  way  of  his  hate,  Zermah  had 
given  up  all  hope  in  the  future.     As  to  the  Spaniard's 


2  74  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

companions,  Squambo  and  the  slaves,  how  could  they  be 
expected  to  be  more  human  than  their  master  ?  They 
knew  the  fate  that  awaited  them  if  they  showed  the  slightest 
sympathy.  From  them  nothing  was  to  be  hoped.  Zermah 
must  trust  to  herself  Her  resolution  was  taken.  She 
would  try  and  escape  during  the  night. 

But  how  i  The  ring  of  water  that  surrounded  the  island 
must  be  crossed,  and  though  near  the  wigwam  the  channel 
was  narrow,  yet  it  could  not  be  swum.  There  was  only 
one  chance,  and  that  was  to  seize  on  the  barge. 

The  night  fell  dark  and  gloomy,  for  the  rain  had  come 
on,  and  the  wind  swept  fiercely  across  the  marsh. 

If  it  was  impossible  for  Zermah  to  quit  the  wigwam  by 
the  door  of  the  large  room,  perhaps  it  would  not  be  difficult 
for  her  to  make  a  hole  in  the  wail,  and  so  get  through. 

Ten  o'clock  came,  and  nothing  was  heard  outside  but  the 
moaning  of  the  storm.  Texar  and  Squambo  were  asleep. 
The  hounds  hiding  under  one  of  the  thickets  no  longer 
prowled  round  the  dwelling. 

The  moment  was  favourable. 

While  Dy  lay  sleeping  on  the  couch  of  herbs,  Zermah 
began  to  pull  away  quietly  the  straw  and  reeds  in  the  side 
wall  of  the  wigwam. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  the  hole  was  only  large  enough 
for  the  girl  to  get  ttirough,  and  she  was  making  it  larger 
\v..en  a  noise  suddenly  stopped  her. 

The  noise  came  from  far  out  in  the  darkness,  and  was 
the  barking  of  the  hounds  announcing  some  arrival.  Texar 
and  Squambo  suddenly  awakened,  got  up,  and  hurriedly 
went  out. 

Voices  were  heard.  Evidently  a  troop  of  men  had 
Reached  the  opposite  bank  of  the  channel.  Zermah  must 
for  the  present  give  up  her  attempt  at  flight. 

Soon,  in  spite  of  the  tumult  of  the  storm,  it  was  easy  to 
distinguish  the  sound  of  many  footsteps.  Zermah  listened. 
What  was  happening  ?  Had  Providence  taken  pity  on 
her?  Had  the  help  come  on  which  she  had  not  dared  to 
!eckon? 

No,  and  she  knew  it  could   not  be  so,  for  there  was  no 


THE  EVEUGLADliS.  275 

sound  of  a  strugo^le  as  the  channel  was  crossed,  no  reports 
of  firearms.  It  was  a  reinforcement  that  had  arrived  at 
Carneral  Island. 

A  minute  afterwards  Zermah  saw  two  persons  enter  the 
wigwam.  The  Spaniard  was  accompanied  by  another  man 
who  could  not  be  Squambo,  for  the  Indian's  voice  could  be 
heard  outside  on  the  bank  of  the  channel. 

Two  men  were,  however,  in  the  room.  They  had  begun 
to  talk  in  a  low  voice,  when  they  suddenly  stopped.  One 
of  them,  lantern  in  hand,  came  towards  Zermah's  room, 
and  she  had  only  just  time  to  throw  herself  on  the  bed  so 
as  to  hide  the  hole  in  the  wall. 

Texar,  for  it  was  he,  opened  the  door,  looked  round  the 
room,  saw  the  half-breed  apparently  asleep  by  the  side  of 
the  child,  and  retired. 

Zermah  then  took  her  place  behind  the  door  he  had  ■ 
shut.  If  she  could  not  see  or  recognize  the  strange  man, 
she  could  hear  all  that  passed. 

And  this  is  what  she  heard. 


18 


!^6  MORTH  AND  SOUTK. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WHAT  ZERMAH  OVERHEARD. 

"  You,  at  Carneral  Island  ? " 

"  Yes.     I  have  been  here  for  some  hours." 

"  I  thought  you  were  at  Adamsville,  near  Lake  Apopka  ?  " 

"  I  was  there  a  week  ago." 

"  And  why  have  you  come  here  ? " 

"  Because  I  had  to  do  so." 

"We  ought  never  to  meet,  you  know,  except  in  the 
marsh  at  Black  Creek,  and  then  only  after  you  have  written 
to  tell  me  ! " 

"  But  I  had  to  beat  a  hurried  retreat,  and  escape  to  the 
Everglades." 

"  Why  ? " 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  you." 

"  But  is  there  no  risk  of  our  being  found  out  ?  " 

"  No  1  I  came  in  the  dark,  and  none  of  your  slaves  saw 
me. 

Zermah  listened,  but  she  could  not  up  to  this  point  make 
out  the  meaning  of  the  conversation,  nor  could  she  imagine 
who  was  the  wigwam's  unexpected  guest.  There  were 
certainly  two  men  talking ;  and  yet  it  seemed  as  though  it 
was  only  one  man  who  questioned  and  answered.  The 
voice  was  the  same  ;  the  accent  was  the  same  ;  the  words 
seemed  to  come  from  the  same  mouth.  In  vain  Zermah 
tried  to  look  through  a  crack  in  the  door.  The  room  was 
lighted  but  feebly,  and  remained  in  a  half-shadow  which 
prevented  the  least  object  from  being  distinguished.  The 
half-breed  had  therefore  to  content  herself  with  listening  as 
intently  as  possible  to  a  conversation  which  might  be  of 
extreme  importance  for  her. 

After  a  moment's  silence  the  two  men  had  continued  as 


WHAT  ZERMAH  OVERHJEARD.  ^77 

follows.      Evidently   it   was    Texar   who   asked    the   first 
question. 

"  You  have  not  come  alone  ?  " 

"  No  ;  some  of  our  men  came  with  me  to  the  Everglades." 

"  How  many  ?" 

"  Forty." 

"  Are  you  not  afraid  that  they  will  find  out  what  we  have 
kept  secret  from  them  for  so  long  ?  " 

"  No.  They  will  never  see  us  together.  When  they 
leave  Carneral  Island  they  will  have  learnt  nothing,  and  the 
plan  of  our  life  will  in  no  way  be  changed.^' 

And  Zermah  thought  she  could  hear  the  clasp  of  the 
hands  as  they  met  in  token  of  continued  friendship. 

Then  the  conversation  was  resumed. 

"What  has  happened  since  Jacksonville  was  taken  ?  " 

*' A  serious  business.  You  know  that  Dupont  took 
possession  of  St.  Augustine  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  and  you,  I  suppose,  know  why  I 
know  .'' " 

"  Yes  !  The  story  of  the  Fernandina  train  came  in 
handy  to  allow  you  to  establish  the  alibi  that  forced  the 
court  to  acquit  you." 

"  Which  did  not  quite  suit  them  !  Bah  !  It  is  not  the 
first  time  we  have  got  off  like  that." 

"  And  it  won't  be  the  last.  But  do  you  know  what  the 
Federals  are  after  in  occupying  St.  Augustine  ?  It  was 
not  so  much  to  hold  the  capital  of  St.  John's  county  as 
to  organize  the  blockade  of  the  Atlantic  coast." 

"  So  i  heard." 

'•  Well,  to  watch  the  coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
John's  to  the  Bahamas  did  not  seem  to  be  enough  for 
Dupont,  and  he  resolved  to  follow  up  contraband  of  war 
into  the  interior  of  Florida.  So  he  sent  off  two  boats' 
crews.     Have  you  heard  of  this  ?" 

"  No." 

"  But  when  did  you  leave  Black  Creek  ?  Some  days 
after  you  were  acquitted  ? " 

"Yes  !     The  22nd  of  this  month." 

"  This  took  place  on  the  22nd." 
PART   II. 


2  78  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

It  should  be  remembered  thaf;  Zermah  knew  nothinc^  of 
the  ambuscade  at  Kissimmee,  of  which  Captain  Howick 
had  spoken  to  Gilbert  at  their  meeting  in  the  forest.  So 
she,  like  the  Spaniard,  heard  fOr  the  first  time  how  the 
boats  had  been  burnt,  and  hardly  a  dozen  survivors  had 
found  their  way  back  to  the  Commodore  with  news  of  the 
disaster. 

"  Well !  well ! "  exclaimed  Texar.  "  That  is  a  happy 
revenge  for  the  capture  of  Jacksonville,  and  if  we  can  lure 
those  infernal  Northerners  into  the  thick  of  Florida,  not  one 
of  them  will  get  back." 

"  Not  one.  If  we  can  get  them  among  the  marshes  of  the 
Everglades.     And  we  shall  have  them  there  before  long." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Dupont  has  sworn  to  avenge  the  death  of  his  officers 
and  sailors,  and  a  new  expedition  has  been  sent  out  to 
the  south  of  St.  John's  county." 

"  The  Federals  are  coming  from  that  quarter  ? " 

"  Yes,  but  more  numerous  and  better  armed,  and  well  on 
their  guard  against  ambuscades." 

"  Have  you  met  them  ? " 

"  No,  for  our  people  are  not  in  force  now,  and  we  have 
had  to  retreat.  But,  as  we  retired  we  drew  them  on  after 
us.  When  we  have  been  joined  by  the  militia  who  are 
somewhere  about,  we  will  fall  on  them,  and  not  one  shall 
escape." 

"  Where  did  they  come  from  ?  " 

"  Mosquito  Inlet." 

**  Which  way  did  they  come  ? " 

"  Through  the  cypress  grove." 

"  Where  are  they  now  ?  " 

"  About  forty  miles  from  Carneral  Island." 

"  Good,"  said  Texar.  "  We  must  get  them  further 
south,  for  there  is  not  a  day  to  lose  in  concentrating  the 
militia.  If  necessary,  we  must  be  off  to-morrow  to  the 
shore  of  the  Bahama  Channel." 

"  And  from  there,  if  we  are  pressed  before  we  can  collect 
our  friends,  we  will  find  a  safe  retreat  in  the  English 
islands/' 


WHAT  ZERMAH  OVERHEARD.  279 

The  different  matters  alluded  to  in  this  conversation 
were  of  the  greatest  interest  to  Zermah.  If  Texar  de- 
cided to  leave  the  island,  would  he  take  the  prisoners  with 
him,  or  would  he  leave  them  at  the  wigwam  in  charge  of 
Squambo  ?  In  that  case  it  would  be  better  not  to  attempt 
to  escape  until  after  the  Spaniard's  departure.  Then  she 
might,  perhaps,  have  a  better  chance  of  success.  And 
perhaps  the  Federal  expedition  then  in  Lower  Florida 
might  reach  Lake  Okee-cho-bee,  in  sight  of  Carneral 
Island  .? 

But  these  hopes  vanished  almost  as  soon  as  they  rose. 
For  the  next  question  that  was  askfed  was,  what  was  to  be 
done  with  the  half-breed  and  child,  and  to  it  Texar 
answered,  without  hesitation, — 

"  I  shall  take  them  with  me,  if  necessary,  to  the 
Bahamas." 

"  But  will  the  little  girl  bear  the  discomforts  of  the 
voyage  ?  " 

"  Yes !  I  will  answer  for  that ;  and  besides,  Zermah  knows 
how  she  can  avoid  them  ! " 

"  But  if  the  child  were  to  die  ?  " 

"  I  had  rather  have  her  dead  than  give  her  back  to  her 
father !  " 

"  Ah  !  you  are  a  good  hater  of  these  Burbanks  !  " 

"  As  good  as  you  are  !  " 

Zermah  could  hardly  contain  herself,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  throwing  open  the  door  and  meeting  face  to  face 
these  two  men,  who  were  so  like  to  each  other,  not  only  in 
voice,  but  in  evil  instinct  and  want  of  conscience  and 
heart.  But  she  controlled  herself  Better  hear  to  tl\e 
end  what  Texar  and  his  accomplice  had  to  say.  When 
their  talk  was  at  an  end  perhaps  they  would  sleep  ! 
Then  there  might  be  time  to  escape  before  they  left 
the  island. 

Evidently  the  Spaniard  was  in  the  position  of  one  who 
had  everything  to  learn  from  him  he  was  talking  to.  And 
so  he  continued  to  question  him. 

"  What  news  is  there  from  the  north  .? " 

"  Nothing  of  much  importance.     Unfortunately,  it  seems 


2 So  JfORTH  AND  SOUtti. 

as  though  the  Federals  were  getting  the  best  of  it,  and 
that  the  slave  cause  is  done  for." 

"  Bah  !  "  said  Texar,  in  a  tone  of  indifference. 

"  Well,  we  are  neither  for  South  or  North,  really,  are 
we  ? " 

"  No.  The  only  thing  is,  while  they  are  at  each  other's 
throats  to  be  always  on  the  side  where  most  is  to  be 
gained." 

In  this  remark  Texar  revealed  his  true  character.  The 
two  men  fished  in  the  troubled  water  of  civil  war  only  for 
what  they  could  catch. 

"  But,"  said  Texar,  "  what  has  happened  in  Florida 
during  the  last  week  ? " 

"Nothing  that  you  do  not  know.  Stevens  remains 
master  of  the  St.  John's  up  to  Picolata." 

"  And  he  does  not  seem  to  care  to  come  further  down  .? " 

"No  ;  the  gunboats  have  not  been  sent  to  the  south  of 
the  county.  And  I  fancy  the  occupation  of  this  river  will 
5oon  end,  and  that  the  Confederates  will  get  back  the 
command  of  the  whole  stream." 

"How?" 

"There  is  a  rumour  that  Dupont  intends  to  abandon 
Florida,  and  leave  two  or  three  ships  to  blockade  the 
coast." 

"  Can  that  be  possible  ?  " 

"They  are  talking  about  it;  and  if  so,  St.  Augustine 
will  soon  be  evacuated." 

"  And  Jacksonville  ? " 

"Jacksonville,  too." 

"  Then  I  can  go  back,  get  the  committee  together  again, 
and  resume  the  place  the  Federals  pushed  me  from !  Ah ! 
my  Northerners,  if  I  come  back,  you  will  see  how  I  will 
treat  you  ! " 

"That  is  so." 

"And  if  James  Burhank  and  his  people  have  not  cleared 
out  of  Camdless  Bay  they  will  not  again  escape  me." 

"That  is  r'ght.  All  that  you  have  suffered  from  them 
I  have  suffered  with  you.  What  you  wish,  I  wish  I  what 
you  hate,  I  hate  I     The  two  of  us  are  but  as  one," 


WHAT  ZfiRMAH  OVERHEARD.  ^    281   i 

"  Yes  !  as  one  ! "  replied  Texar.  , 

The  conversation  stopped  for  an  instant.     The  dink  of  ' 
the  glasses  told  Zermah  that  the  Spaniard  and  the  other  \ 
man  were  drinking  together.  '  Zermah  was  thunderstruck,  i 
To  listen  to  them,  it  seemed  as  though  these  two  men  had  ' 
had  an  equal  hand  in  every  crime  committed  during  the 
last  few  years  in  Florida,  and   more  particularly  in  those  , 
against   the    Burbank  family.      She   learnt    much  as  she  ; 
listened  to  them  for  another  half-hour,  and  all  the  time  the  i 
same  voice  gave  question  and  answer,  as  if  Texar  were  alone  I 
and  talking  to  himself.     Here  was  a  mystery  which  the  J 
half-breed  had  the  greatest  interest  in  discovering.     But  if  | 
the  villains  knew  that  Zermah  had  heard  some  of  their 
secrets  would  they  not  settle  the  danger  by  killing  her  ? 
And  what  would  become  of  the  child  when  Zermah  was 
dead  ?  ' 

It  was  about  eleven  o'clock.     The  weather   continued 
terrible  ;    wind  and    rain  blew  and  fell  without  ceasing.  : 
Assuredly  Texar  and  his  companion  would  not  leave  their 
shelter.     They  would  pass  the  night  in  the  wigwam,  and  do  ; 
nothing  till  the  morning,  ■ 

And  Zermah's  doubts  ended  when  Texar's  accomplice—  : 
who  ought  to  have  been  Texar  himself — asked, —  ; 

"  Well,  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"This,"  said  the  Spaniard.  "To-morrow  morning  we/^ 
will  go  with  our  men  and  reconnoitre  round  the  lake.  We  i 
will  explore  the  cypress  grove  for  three  or  four  miles,  after  j 
sending  on  in  advance  those  who  know  it  best,  particularly 
Squambo.  If  there  are  no  signs  of  the  approach  of  the  1 
Federal  detachment,  we  will  return  and  wait  till  it  is  time  ^ 
to  retreat.  If  there  is  danger,  we  will  get  together  our  - 
partisans  and  my  slaves,  and  I  will  take  Zermali  off  to  the  | 
Bahama  Channel  while  you  concentrate  the  militia  in  Lower 
Florida." 

"  Agreed,"  said  the  other  ;  "  while  you  reconnoitre  I  will  ' 
hide  in  the  woods  on  the  island.  It  will  not  do  for  us  to  , 
be  seen  together." 

"  No !  certainly  not !  "  said  Texar.  "  We  must  keep  from  ' 
any  imprudence  that  would  reveal  our  secret.     Do  not  come  ' 


2  82  NORTH  AND   SOUTH, 

back  here  till  to-morrow  night ;  and,  if  I  am  obliged  to 
go  off  during  the  da.y,  do  not  leave  the  island  till  I  have 
got  clear  away.     Meet  me,  then,  at  Cape  Sable." 

Zermah  then  saw  that  she  could  not  be  rescued  by  the 
Federals.  If  in  the  morning  their  approach  was  discovered, 
the  Spaniard  would  not  leave  the  island  without  her.  She 
could  only  be  saved  by  her  own  efforts,  great  as  was  the 
danger.  Escape  under  such  difficult  circumstances  was 
almost  impossible. 

But  with  >vhat  courage  would  she  have  attempted  it 
had  she  known  that  James  Burbank,  Gilbert,  Mars  and 
his  companions  at  the  plantation  were  on  their  way  to 
deliver  her  from  Texar ;  that  her  letter  had  told  them 
where  to  look  for  her ;  that  already  Mr.  Burbank  was  up 
the  St.  John's,  beyond  Lake  Washington  ;  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  cypress  grove  had  been  crossed  ;  that  the  little 
band  from  Camdless  Bay  had  been  joined  by  the  detach- 
ment under  Captain  Howick  ;  that  it  was  Texar  whom 
they  looked  upon  as  the  author  of  the  ambuscade  at 
Kissimmee  ;  that  the  scoundrel  was  to  be  hunted  to  death, 
and  that  he  would  be  shot  on  the  spot  if  they  could  only 
get  hold  of  him  ! 

But  Zermah  knew  nothing  of  this.  She  could  wait  for 
help  no  longer.  And  she  resolved  to  risk  everything  to 
get  away  from  Carneral  Island. 

But  she  must  wait  for  twenty-four  hours  before  she 
made  her  attempt,  although  the  night  was  -very  dark  and 
favourable  for  her  chance  of  escape.  The  men,  who  had 
not  even  taken  shelter  under  the  trees,  were  all  round  the 
wigwam.  She  could  hear  them  walking  about  on  the 
bank,  smoking  and  talking.  If  her  attempt  failed,  if  her 
plan  was  discovered,  she  would  be  worse  off  than  she  was, 
and  Texar  would  have  an  excuse  for  his  violence. 

Would  the  chance  of  escape  be  better  to-morrow  ?  Had 
not  the  Spaniard  said  that  his  companions,  his  slaves,  even 
the  Indian,  Squambo,  would  accompany  him  to  recon- 
noitre the  Federal  advance  ?  Would  something  come 
out  of  this  to  increase  her  chance  of  getting  away  ?  If  she 
could    get  across   the   channel   without   being   seen,  and 


WHAT   ZERMAH   OVERHEARD.  283    < 

reach  the  forest,  she  did  not  doubt  that  she  would  be  safe.  ' 
She  could  hide,  and  need  not  again  fall  into  Texar's  hands,  1 
Captain  Howick  could  not  be  far  off.     If  he  was  advancing 
towards  Lake  Okee-cho-bee,  was  there  not  a  chance  that 
she  might  meet  with  him  ? 

Better,  therefore,  wait  for  to-morrow  !     But  hardly  had 
she  so  decided,  than   something  happened,  that  at  once  ' 
swept  away  the  scaffold   on  wliich   her  last   liopes  were 
built.  j 

There   came   a   knock   at   the  wigwam  door.     It   was  <, 
Squambo,  who  made  himself  known  to  his  master.  ; 

"  Enter  !  "  said  the  Spaniard. 

Squambo  came  in.  ■[ 

"  Have  you  any  orders  for  the  night  ?  "  he  asked.  s 

"  Keep  careful  watch,   and   let   me   know  at  the  least 
alarm." 

"  I  will  do  so,"  said  Squambo.  _       i 

"  To-morrow  morning  we  will  reconnoitre  for  some  miles  j 
in  the  forest,"  \ 

"  The  half-breed  and  Dy  ?  "  ] 

"  Will  be   under   guard   as    usual.      See   that    no   one : 
disturbs  us  here."  .  ; 

''  Right."  ; 

•'  What  are  the  men  doing  ? " 

"  Walking  about.     None  of  them  seem  to  care  to  rest." 
"  See  that  none  get  far  away."  " 

"  None  shall  go." 

"  What  is  the  weather  like  ?  "  i 

"  Not  so  bad  as  it  was.     The  rain  has  stopped,  and  the  ■ 

wind  will  soon  drop."  ] 

"  Good."  .  j 

Zermah  had  listened  to  all  this.     The  conversation  wasj 

evidently  nearing  its  end,  when  a  stifled  sigh,   a  sort  of: 

■rattle,  made  itself  heard.  'i 

„Zermah's  blood  flowed  back    to  her   heart.     She   rose,, 

rushed   to   the    bed   of  herbs,   and    bent   over   the    littiej 

cirl.  ,      1 

^  Dy  had  just  awoke,  and  in  what  a  state  !     A  chokingf/j 
husky  breath  was  escaping  from  her  lips.     Her  little  handsl 


284  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

were  beating  the  air,  as  if  she  sought  to  drag  it  into  her 
mouth.     Zermah  could  just  hear  the  words, — 

"Drink!  water!" 

The  child  was  being  suffocated.  She  must  betaken  into 
the  air  at  once.  In  the  darkness  Zermah,  distracted,  took 
her  in  her  arms  to  revive  her  with  her  own  breath.  She 
felt  her  struggle  in  a  convulsion.  She  uttered  a  cry — she 
burst  open  the  door  of  the  room. 

Two  men  were  there,  standing  before  Squambo.  But  so 
like  were  they  in  face  and  build  that  Zermah  could  not  tell 
which  of  them  was  Texar. 


A  DOUBLE  LIFE.  285 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

A    DOUBLE    LIFE. 

A  FEW  words  will  suffice  to  explain  that  which  has  hitherto 
seemed  inexplicable  in  this  story. 

The  men  before  whom  Zermah  had  suddenly  appeared 
were  twins 

Where  they  were  born  they  themselves  did  not  know. 
Probably  their  birthplace  was  some  village  of  Texas — 
whence  the  name  of  Texar  by  merely  changing  a  letter. 

Texas,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  an  extensive  territory, 
situated  in  the  south  of  the  United  States,  and  on  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  After  revolting  against  the  Mexicans,  Texas 
assisted  by  the  United  States  in  its  work  of  independence 
was  annexed  to  the  Union  in  1845,  under  the  presidency 
of  John  Tyler. 

It  was  about  fifteen  years  before  this  annexation  that 
two  children  were  found  abandoned  in  a  village  on  the 
Texan  coast,  and  were  taken  care  of  and  brought  up  by 
public  charity. 

Attention  was  first  directed  to  the  children  on  account 
of  their  marvellous  resemblance.  They  had  the  same 
gestures,  the  same  voice,  the  same  attitudes,  the  same 
physiognomy,  and  it  may  be  added  the  same  instincts 
testifying  to  a  precocious  perversity.  We  know  not  how 
they  were  educated,  nor  what  instruction  they  received, 
nor  to  what  family  they  belonged  unless  it  was  to  one  of 
those  who  roamed  about  the  country  after  the  declaration 
of  independence. 

As  soon  as  the  brothers  Texar  thought  they  could 
support  themselves,  they  disappeared.  This  was  when 
they  were  about  twelve  years  old.  They  then  took  to  a 
life  of  thieving  among  the  fields  and  farms,  stealing  bread 


286  NORTH   AND  SOUTH. 

in  one  place,  fruit  in  another,  ending  at  length  in  highway 
robbery.  Then  they  ceased  to  be  seen  in  the  Texan 
villages  in  the  company  of  lawbreakers,  who,  even  in  those 
early  days  had  put  their  strange  resemblance  to  account. 
Years  rolled  by.  The  Texar  brothers  were  soon  forgotten 
even  by  name.  And  although  the  name  became  notorious 
enough  in  Florida,  nothing  happened  to  show  that  they 
had  passed  their  early  years  in  the  coast  districts  of 
Texas. 

But  how  was  it  that  after  their  disappearance  no  one 
knew  that  there  were  two  Texars  ?  It  was  on  this 
ignorance  that  their  plans  hao'  been  built.  As  was  ascer- 
tained later  on  when  the  duality  was  discovered  and  proved, 
the  brothers  for  twenty  or  thirty  years  lived  apart.  Fortune 
they  sought  in  all  ways  ;  but  they  did  not  meet  again 
except  at  rare  interv^als  away  from  observation,  either  in 
America,  or  wherever  their  search  after  fortune  led  them. 

One  of  them — which  it  was  not  known,  though  it  was 
probably  both — engaged  in  the  slave  trade.  They  brought 
cargoes  of  slaves  from  the  coasts  of  Africa  to  the  Southern 
States  of  the  Union,  acting  as  intermediaries  between  the 
merchants  on  the  coast  and  the  captains  of  the  ships 
employed  in  the  inhuman  traffic. 

Did  their  trade  prosper  ?  We  do  not  know.  But  pro- 
bably not  ;  for  it  diminished  rapidly,  and  was  finally  put 
a  stop  to  when  the  slave  trade  was  denounced  as  a  bar- 
barism, and  gradually  abolished  by  the  civilized  world. 

The  brothers  had  not  made  their  fortune,  and  they  re- 
solved to  do  so  at  any  price.  It  was  then  they  resolved  to 
avail  themselves  of  their  extraordinary  resemblance. 

It  often  happens  that  such  a  resemblance  dies  away  as 
the  children  grow  to  manhood  But  this  was  not  the  case 
with  the  Texars.  The  older  they  got,  the  more  their 
physical  and  moral  resemblance  increased.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  distinguish  one  from  the  other  either  by  his  face 
or  his  figure  or  his  gestures  or  voice.  And  resolving  to 
take  advantage  of  this  natural  peculiarity,  they  entered 
upon  a  hateful  career  of  crime,  intending  if  one  was  caught 
to  establish  an  alidz  by  means  of  the  other.     When  one 


A  DOUBLE  LIFE.  287 

went  off  to  commit  some  act  that  would  bring  him  within 
reach  of  the  law,  the  other  would  show  himself  in  public,  so 
that  all  criminating  evidence  would  fail.  Of  course,  they 
never  allowed  themselves  to  be  taken  in  the  act,  for  tlieji 
no  alibi  could  have  been  pleaded. 

Having  drawn  up  their  programme  the  twins  came  to 
Florida,  where  neither  of  them  was  known,  the  attraction 
being  the  numerous  opportunities  offered  in  a  state  where 
the  Indians  still  carried  on  a  struggle  against  the  Ameri- 
cans and  the  Spaniards. 

It  was  about  1850  or  1851  that  Texar  appeared  in  the 
Floridan  peninsula — Texar,  not  the  Texars,  be  it  under- 
stood, for  it  was  their  intention  never  to  be  seen  together, 
never  to  be  on  the  same  day  in  the  same  place. 

Hiding  themselves  thus  under  a  complete  incognito, 
they  found  a  retreat  that  was  quite  as  mysterious.  This 
was  in  Black  Creek,  which  they  discovered  in  one  of  their 
explorations  of  the  St.  John's.  There  they  brought  a 
few  slaves,  to  whom  their  secret  was  not  revealed.  Squambo 
alone  knew  the  mystery  of  their  double  existence.  The 
confidant  was  worthy  of  his  masters,  whom  he  served  with 
unequalled  devotion  and  discretion,  and  pitilessly  executed 
their  commands. 

Never,  it  need  scarcely  be  said,  did  they  appear  together 
at  Black  Creek.  When  they  wished  to  consult  on  any 
matter  they  wrote  to  each  other.  We  have,  in  fact,  seen 
their  post-office.  A  letter  was  slipped  into  the  stalk  of 
a  leaf,  and  the  leaf  was  fixed  to  the  branch  of  a  tulip- 
tree  in  the  neighbouring  marsh.  This  means  never  failed, 
them.  Every  day  Squambo  cautiously  visited  the  tree. 
If  he  was  the  bearer  of  a  letter  from  the  Texar  then  at 
Black  Creek  he  fixed  it  to  the  branch  of  the  tulip-tree.  If 
the  letter  had  been  written  by  the  other  brother  the  Indian 
found  it  in  the  usual  place  and  took  it  back  to  the  block- 
house. 

After  their  arrival  in  Florida  the  Texars  leagued  them- 
selves with  all  that  was  bad  among  the  population. 
Many  of  the  criminal  classes  became  their  accomplices  in 
the  numerous  robberies  that  then  took  place,  and  thesc- 

19 


288  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

became  their  accomplices  later  on  when  the  war  brought 
them  to  the  front  in  political  matters.  But  although  some- 
times one  and  sometimes  another  took  the  lead  in  these 
matters,  their  companions  never  knew  that  there  were  two 
Texars.  Thus  it  was  that  an  alibiv^z.s  always  forthcoming 
when  a  Texar  was  brought  to  answer  for  his  crimes.  Thus 
it  was  that  although  James  Burbank  and  Zermah  had 
positively  recognized  the  Spaniard  as  the  author  of  the 
fire,  he  had  been  acquitted  by  the  tribunal  at  St.  Augustine, 
for  numerous  witnesses  swore  that  at  the  time  of  the  crime 
he  was  in  Torillo's  tienda  at  Jacksonville.  And  so  it  was 
regarding  the  attack  on  Camdless  Bay.  How  could  Texar 
be  leading  the  assault  at  Castle  House,  or  carrying  away 
Zermah  and  Dy  when  he  was  one  of  the  prisoners  made 
by  the  Federals  at  Fernandina,  and  then  in  safe  keeping 
on  one  of  the  gunboats? 

And  even  admitting  that  the  duality  of  Texar  was 
known,  how  could  they  tell  which  of  tliem  was  the  culprit  ? 
Were  there  not  in  fact  two  who  were  guilty  .?  Should  not 
the  justly-merited  punishment  fall  on  both  } 

At  Jacksonville  it  was  probable  that  both  brothers  had 
in  turn  played  the  same  part  after  the  outbreak.  When 
Texar  No.  i  absented  himself  on  some  agreed  expedition, 
Texar  No,  2  would  take  his  place  without  the  people  being 
aware  of  the  change.  They  thus  took  an  equal  part  in  the 
excesses  then  committed  against  the  colonists  of  Northern 
birth  and  the  Southern  planters  holding  anti-slavery 
opinions. 

Both  were  aware  of  what  passed  in  the  Central  States 
of  the  Union,  where,  as  in  Florida,  civil  war  underwent 
such  unexpected  changes  in  fortune  ;  both  had  acquired 
great  influence  over  the  lower  class  of  whites,  and  over 
the  Spaniards,  and  even  the  American  slave  partisans. 
Their  correspondence  was  considerable,  and  their  meet- 
ings in  out-of-the-way  places  were  many,  to  enable  them 
to  conduct  their  operations  and  prepare  their  future 
alibis. 

It  was  while  one  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Federals  that 
the   other   organized   the   expedition    at    Camdless    Bay. 


A   DOUBLE  LIFE.                                       289  , 

And  we  know  how  they  had  turned  this  to  account  at  the  j 

court-martial  at  St.  Augustine.  1 

Age,  as  it  has  been  said,  confirmed  and  increased  the 

resemblance  between  the   brothers ;    but   it   was  possible  ■ 

that  an  accident  or  a  wound  might  alter  tliat  resemblance.  , 

For    instance,   in    a    night-attack   some  time  after  their  i 

arrival  in  Florida,  one  of  the  Texars  had  his  beard  burnt  , 

by  a  rifle  fired  at  him  point  blank.     Immediately  the  other  i 

shaved  his  beard  so  as  to  be  like  his  brother,  a  fact  that  I 

was  mentioned  in  the  early  part  of  this  history.  '\ 

Another  fact  requires  explanation.     It  will  not  have  been  1 

forgotten  that  one  night  while  she  was  at  Black  Creek  ' 

Zermah  saw   the  Spaniard's   arm  tattooed.     The   reason  i 

was    that    his    brother  had  been    captured  by  a    band  of  ' 

Seminoles,  and  had  been  so  indelibly  marked  on  his  left  , 
arm.     Immediately  a  tracing  of  the  device  was  sent  to  the 

fortress  and  Squambo  set  to  work,  so   that   the  identity  j 

continued  absolute.  1 

In  fact  if  Texar  No.  i   had  happened  to  lose  a  limb,  ; 

Texar  No.  2  would  have  submitted  to  amputation  to  re-  '' 

semble  him.  : 

For  twelve  years  the  Texar  brothers  lived  this  double  ^ 

life,  but  with  such  skill  and  prudence  that  justice  was  set  ' 
at  defiance. 

Had  the  twins  grown  rich  at  this  trade  ?     Yes,  in  a  cer- 
tain measure.     A  considerable  sum  of  money  saved  from 

the  proceeds  of  pillage  and  theit  had  beeh  hidden  in  a  \ 

secret  redoubt  of  the  blockhouse  at  Black  Creek,  but  as  a  ' 

precaution   it   had   been    taken    away   by    the    Spaniard  ; 

when   he   started    for  Carneral  Island,  and  we  may  rest  | 
assured  he  would  not  leave  it  behind  him  if  he  went  to  the 
Bahamas. 

When  the  twins  learnt  that  Commodore  Dupont  con-  , 

templated  an  early  evacuation  of  Florida,  they  saw  that  ' 

there  would  be  a  chance  of  further  enriching  themselves,  j 

and  the  Northern  planters  could  be  made  to  pay  dearly  for  j 

the  Federal  occupation.    ^They  had  therefore  resolved  to  \ 

keep  on  th^  watch.     Once  they  were  back  at  Jacksonville,  ! 

with  the  help  of  their  partisans  and  the  Southerners  in  ] 


290  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

league  with  them,  they  could  resume  the  position  which 
a  riot  had  given  them  once  and  could  give  them  again. 

And  besides  this  they  had  a  means  of  acquiring  wealth 
almost  beyond  their  desires.  They  had  only  to  listen  to 
the  proposition  Zermah  had  made  to  one  of  them  ;  they 
had  only  to  return  Dy  to  her  parents.  James  Burbank 
would  have  given  his  fortune  as  his  child's  ransom.  Ke 
would  have  undertaken  to  make  no  complaint  or  instigate 
any  pursuit  against  the  Spaniard.  But  among  the  Texars 
hate  was  stronger  than  self-interest.  They  wished  to  be 
revenged  on  the  Burbanks  before  they  left  Florida. 

Such  is  all  that  need  be  said  about  the  history  of  the 
brothers  Texar.     We  can  now  resume  our  story. 

When  Zermah  suddenly  found  herself  in  their  presence, 
she  understood  all.  The  past  instantly  rushed  back  through 
her  mind.  In  astonishment  she  looked  at  the  men — 
motionless  as  if  rooted  in  the  ground,  holding  the  little  girl 
in  her  arms.  Fortunately  the  air  in  the  room  was  abun- 
dant, and  all  fear  of  the  child's  suffocation  had  gone. 

Her  appearance  before  the  brothers,  her  discovery  of  the 
secret  of  their  lives,  meant,  she  well  knew,  sentence  of 
death. 


ZERMAH  AT  WORK.  -9^ 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ZERMAH   AT  WORK. 

The  Texars  were  furious  at  Zermah's  interruption. 

With  the  exception  of  Squambo,  never  before  since  their 
childhood  had  a  third  person  seen  them  together.  And 
this  person  was  their  mortal  enemy.  Their  first  impulse 
was  to  hurl  themselves  at  her  and  murder  her,  so  as  to 
save  the  secret  of  their  double  life. 

The  child  raised  herself  in  Zermah's  arms ;  and  holding 
out  her  little  hands,  she  cried, — 

"  I  am  afraid  !     I  am  afraid  !  " 

At  a  gesture  from  the  two  brothers  Squambo  stepped 
roughly  up  to  the  half-breed,  took  her  by  the  shoulder,  and 
pushed  her  back  into  her  room  and  shut  the  door. 

Then  Squambo  returned  to  the  brothers.  His  attitude 
told  them  they  had  only  to  command  for  him  to  obey. 
But  the  interruption  had  been  so  unexpected  that  it  had 
troubled  them  more  than  might  be  supposed.  They 
seemed  to  consult  each  other  with  a  look. 

Zermah  had  thrown  herself  into  a  corner  of  the  room, 
after  laying  the  little  girl  on  one  of  the  beds.  Her  self- 
possession  returned  to  her ;  and  she  went  to  the  door  to 
hear  what  was  passing.  In  a  moment  her  fate  would 
probably  be  decided.  But  the  Texars  and  Squambo  had 
just  gone  out  of  the  hut,  and  were  no  longer  within  ear- 
shot. 

And  this  is  what  they  were  saying, — 

"  Zermah  must  die." 

"  She  must !  If  she  escapes,  or  if  the  Federals  get  hold 
of  her,  we  are  lost !     She  must  die  ! " 

"  This  moment !  "  said  Squambo. 
19 


292  NORTH   AND   SOUTH. 

And  knife  in  hand  he  had  turned  to  go  to  the  hut,  when 
one  of  the  Texars  stopped  him. 

"  Wait,"  said  he.  "  It  will  always  be  time  enough  to  put 
Zermah  out  of  the  way  ;  and  we  have  need  of  her  to  take 
care  of  the  youngster.  Let  us  first  see  how  we  stand. 
A  detachment  of  Northerners  is  now  in  the  cypress  grove. 
Let  us  take  a  careful  look-out  round  the  lake,  for  there  is 
no  proof  as  yet  that  the  detachment  is  coming  this  way. 
If  it  is  coming  we  shall  have  time  to  get  away  ;  if  it  is  not 
coming  we  can  stop  here  and  let  it  get  deeper  into  the 
wilds  of  Florida  when  it  will  be  at  our  mercy.  We  shall 
have  time  to  muster  the  militia  and  cut  off  the  Federal 
retreat.  Some  escaped  from  Kissimmee,  but  none  will 
escape  here." 

This  was  obviously  the  best  thing  to  do  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. A  large  number  of  Southerners  were  in  the 
neighbourhood  only  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  try  a 
stroke  at  the  Federals,  One  of  the  Texars  could  go  out 
and  reconnoitre,  and  then  they  could  decide  either  to 
remain  at  Carneral  Island  or  move  off  to  Cape  Sable. 
That  could  be  done  to-morrow,  and  Squambo  could  be 
trusted  to  take  care  of  Zermah  whatever  might  be  the 
result  of  the  exploration. 

"  As  for  the  child,"  said  one  of  the  brothers,  "  it  is  our 
interest  to  keep  her  alive.  She  cannot  have  understood  as 
Zermah  did,  and  she  may  be  the  price  of  our  ransom  should 
one  of  us  fall  into  the  hands  of  Captain  Howick.  To  get 
back  his  daughter,  James  Burbank  would  accept  any  con- 
dition we  like  to  impose." 

"  If  Zermah  dies,"  said  the  Indian,  "are  you  not  afraid 
that  the  child  will  die  too  .? " 

"  No,  she  will  be  well  looked  after,  and  I  can  easily  find 
an  Indian  woman  to  take  the  place  of  the  half-breed." 

"  Do  so  then  !  We  must  not  have  anything  to  fear  from 
Zermah." 

"  Well,  whatever  happens,  we  shall  soon  put  her  out  of 
the  way." 

And  Zermah  heard  the  brothers  come  back  into  the 
wigwam. 


A 


ZERMAH  AT  WORK.  293 

What  a  night  it  was  for  the  unhappy  woman  !  She  - 
knew  she  was  doomed,  and  yet  she  had  no  thought  for 
herself,  but  for  Dy,  who  would  thus  be  abandoned  to  the 
cruelty  of  these  pitiless  men.  It  was  to  thtir  interest  that 
the  child  should  live,  but  when  Zermah  was  gone  would 
she  survive  ?  And  the  thought  of  this  returned  to  her  so 
often  and  took  such  obstinate  possession  of  her  that  she 
resolved  to  escape  before  Texar  could  separate  her  from 
the  child. 

In  the  conversation  she  had  overheard,  she  had  learnt 
that  one  of  the  Texars  and  his  companions  was  going  to  , 
reconnoitre  round  the  lake,  evident!}'  with  the  object  of 
fighting  the  Federal  defachmt.nt  should  opportunity  offer. 
Texar  would  therefore  be  away  with  all  his  men,  and  his 
brother  would  remain  on  the  island  so  as  in  the  first  place 
not  to  be  recognized,  and  in  the  second  to  watch  the  hut. 
Then  was  the  time  for  Zermah  to  attempt  her  escape. 
Perhaps  she  might  find  a  weapon  of  some  sort,  and'  in  case 
of  surprise  she  would  not  hesitate  to  use  it. 

The  night  went  by.  Vainly  did  Zermah  listen  for  some 
sign  among  the  sounds  on  the  island  of  the  arrival  of 
Captain  Howick  and  the  capture  of  the  Texirs. 

A  (ew  minutes  before  daybreak  the  little  girl  awoke. 
Zermah  gave  her  a  few  drops  of  water.  Then  looking  at 
her  as  if  she  v/ould  never  see  her  again,  she  clasped  her  in 
her  arms.  At  that  moment  had  any  one  entered  to  tear 
her  away  from  her  charge  she  would  have  defended  herself 
with  the  fury  of  a  wild  beast  being  taken  from  her  little 
ones. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Zermah  ?  "  asked  the  child. 
'     "  Nothing — nothing !  "  said  the  half-breed. 

"  And  mamma— vwhen  shall  we  see  her  again  ?  " 

"  Soon,"  said  Zermah  ;  "  to-day,  perhaps !  Yes,  my 
dear  !  to-day  I  hope  we  are  near  her — " 

"  And  the  men  I  saw  to-night  ?  " 

"  The  men  !     Did  you  see  them  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  they  made  me  afraid." 

"  But  did  you  notice  them  ?  Did  you  see  how  mucl> 
they  were  alike  ?  " 

PART  II. 


294  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  remember  to  tell  your  father,  and  your  brother, 
that  there  are  two  brothers — do  you  understand  ?  there  are 
two  brothers  Texar,  so  alike  that  you  cannot  tell  one  from 
the  other." 

"  Will  you  tell  them  that  too  ?  "  asked  the  child. 

"  Yes.  ril  tell  them  so.  But  if  I  am  not  thfere,  you  must 
not  forget  it." 

"  And  why  will  you  not  be  there  ?  "  asked  Dy,  putting 
her  arms  round  the  half-breed's  neck. 

"  I  shall  be  there,  my  dear,  I  shall  be  there  !  But  if  we 
go  out,  as  we  have  a  long  way  to  go,  we  must  get  some- 
thing to  eat.     I  will  get  you  something." 

"  And  you  .''  " 

"  I  had  something  while  you  were  asleep,  and  I  am  not 
hungry." 

The  truth  was,  that  Zermah  could  not  have  eaten  had 
she  tried,  owing  to  the  state  of  excitement  she  was  in.  As 
soon  as  the  child  had  finislied,  Zermah  put  her  back  on  the 
herb  couch,  and  went  to  a  gap  among  the  reeds  in  a  corner 
of  the  room  ;  and  thence  she  watched  for  an  hour  the 
scene  outside. 

Preparations  were  being  made  for  departure.  One  of 
the  brothers,  only  one,  was  mustering  the  men  that  were  to 
go  into  the  cypress  grove.  The  other,  whom  none  of  the 
men  had  seen,  was  concealed,  either  in  the  wigwam  or  in 
some  corner  of  the  island. 

At  least,  so  thought  Zermah,  who  knew  how  careful 
they  were  to  hide  the  secret  of  their  lives.  And  she  thought 
to  herself  that  this  other  one  had  been  told  off  to  keep 
watch  on  Dy  and  herself 

And  Zermah  was  not  mistaken,  as  we  shall  soon  see. 

And  now  the  men,  to  the  number  of  about  fifty,  were 
all  mustered  ready  before  the  hut  waiting  for  orders.  By 
about  nine  o'clock  they  had  all  entered  the  forest,  the 
barge  being  only  able  to  take  some  five  or  six  at  a  time. 
Zermah  saw  them  go  off  in  small  groups,  and  walk  up  the 
other  bank  ;  but  she  could  not  see  the  surface  of  the 
water. 


^ 


ZERMAH  AT  WORK.  295 

Texar  remained  till  the  last,  and  then  went  off,  followed 
by  one  of  the  dogs,  whose  instinct  was  to  be  made  use  of 
during  the  expedition.  At  a  sign  from  his  master  the 
other  hound  returned  to  the  hut,  as  if  he  was  to  be  the  only 
guard. 

A  minute  afterwards  Zermah  saw  Texar  move  up  the 
opposite  bank,  and  stop  for  an  instant  to  arrange  his  men. 
Then,  with  Squambo  at  their  head,  and  accompanied  by  the 
dog,  the  men  disappeared  among  the  trees.  Doubtless  one 
of  the  negroes  had  brought  back  the  barge,  so  that  no  one 
could  cross  over  to  the  island.  But  the  half-breed  did  not 
see  this. 

She,  however,  hesitated  no  longer. 

Dy  had  just  awoke. 
^ "  Come,  darling,"  said  Zermah. 

"  Where  ?  "  asked  the  child. 

"There!  Into  the  forest !  Perhaps  we  shall  find  your 
father — your  brother  !     You  are  not  afraid  ?  " 

"  Not  when  you  are  with  me." 

Then  the  half-breed  opened  the  door  carefully.  As  she 
had  heard  no  noise  in  the  hut,  she  supposed  that  Texar  was 
not  there. 

And  she  was  right. 

She  sought  about  for  some  weapon  of  defence.  On  the 
table  was  one  of  those  large  knives  used  by  the  Indians 
when  hunting.  She  picked  it  up  and  hid  it  under  her 
clothes ;  and  she  took  a  little  dry  meat  to  last  her  for  a  few 
hours. 

But  the  time  came  for  her  to  leave  the  wigwam.  She 
looked  out  through  the  palisade  in  the  direction  of  the 
channel.     There  was  not  a  living  creature  in  sight. 

The  half-breed  tried  to  open  the  outer  door. 

The  door  was  shut  from  the  outside,  and  would  not  give 
way. 

Then  Zermah  went  back  to  the  hut.  There  was  only 
one  thing  to  be  done.  That  was  to  make  use  of  the  hole 
she  had  already  half  made  in  the  wall  of  her  sleeping- 
room. 

The  work  was  easy.     She  had  only  to  use  her  knife  to 


296  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 

cut  into  the  reeds — and  this  she  did  with  as  little  noise  as 
possible. 

But  if  the  hound  that  had  not  gone  with  Texar  were  to 
appear  ?  Would  he  not  throw  himself  on  her  and  the 
child  ? 

There  was,  however,  no  time  to  hesitate.  The  hole  was 
made  large  enough,  and  through  it  Zermah  drew  the  child, 
whom  she  passionately  embraced  as  she  did  so.  Dy  gave 
back  kiss  for  kiss  ;  she  had  understood.  It  was  necessary 
to  escape  through  this  hole. 

Zermah  glided  through  and  looked  to  the  left,  to  the 
right,  and  listened.     Not  a  sound  could  she  hear. 

But  soon  she  heard  the  bark  of  a  hound.  It  seemed  to 
come  from  the  west  of  the  island.  She  picked  up  the 
child.  Her  heart  beat  ready  to  burst.  She  could  not 
think  she  was  safe  until  she  was  through  the  reeds  on  the 
opposite  river-bank. 

But  to  cross  the  hundred  yards  between  the  wigwam 
and  the  stream  was  the  most  critical  part  of  the  escape. 
There  was  a  chance  of  her  being  seen  either  by  Texar  or 
by  the  slaves. 

Luckily,  to  the  right  of  the  hut  was  a  thicket  of  arbores- 
cent plants  and  reeds,  extending  to  the  bank  of  the  channel, 
a  few  yards  only  from  the  barge. 

Zermah  entered  the  thicket.  The  plants  opened  to  give 
passage  to  the  fugitives,  and  closed  behind  them.  The 
barking  of  the  dog  was  heard  no  longer. 

The  way  through  the  thicket  was  not  easy.  There  was 
but  a  narrow  path  between  the  interlacing  shrubs.  Zer- 
mah's  dress  was  in  rags,  and  her  hands  were  torn.  Little 
did  it  matter  so  long  as  the  child  was  unharmed  ! 

The  brave  half-breed  uttered  no  complaint,  and  although 
Dy  often  made  acquaintance  with  the  thorns,  not  a  cry 
did  she  utter. 

Although  the  distance  was  short,  about  sixty  yards  at 
the  outside,  it  took  quite  half  an  hour  before  the  channel 
was  reached. 

Zermah  then  stopped,  and  thsough  the  reeds  she  looked 
first  at  the  wigwam,  then  at  the  forest. 


ZERMAH  AT  WORK.  297 

There  was  no  one  to  be  seen.  On  the  other  bank  was 
no  sign  of  Texar  and  his  companions,  who  were  a  couple 
of  miles  or  so  away.  Unless  they  met  the  Northerners 
they  would  not  be  back  for  some  hours. 

But  Zermah  did  not  believe  she  had  been  left  alone  in 
the  hut.  It  was  not  likely  that  one  of  the  Texars  had 
gone  off  unseen  and  taken  the  dog  with  him.  Besides, 
had  not  the  half-breed  heard  the  barking — a  proof  that  the 
hound  was  still  prowling  under  the  trees  .-'  Any  moment 
she  might  see  one  or  the  other  appear.  But  if  she  made 
haste  she  might  reach  the  cypress  grove. 

While  she  watched  the  Spaniard's  men  in  their  journey 
from  bank  to  bank  she  had  not  been  able  to  see  the  sur- 
face of  the  stream,  and  she  supposed  that  the  barge  had 
been  brought  back  by  one  of  the  slaves.  This  was  neces- 
sary for  the  safety  of  the  wigwam,  in  case  Captain  Howick 
and  his  men  defeated  the  Southerners, 

But  if  the  barge  was  on  the  other  side,  so  as  to  be  ready 
to  help  in  Texar's  retreat,  should  he  have  to  retreat  ?  If 
it  were  not  there,  would  he  not  have  to  find  another  hiding- 
place  ? 

But  Zermah  must  have  the  barge  to  get  across.  She 
could  not  see  it.  "Where  could  it  be  ?  For  half  a  dozen 
yards  she  glided  through  the  reeds.     Then  she  stopped. 

The  barge  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  channel. 


298  NORTH  AND   SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  TWO  BROTHERS. 

The  position  was  critical.  How  could  she  cross  ?  The 
boldest  swimmer  could  not  do  it  without  risking  his  life  a 
score  of  times.  There  were  but  a  hundred  feet  from  bank 
to  bank,  but  without  the  boat  it  was  impossible  to  cross 
them.  Triangular  heads  appeared  every  now  and  then 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  the  weeds  waved  to  let 
the  reptiles  pass. 

Little  Dy,  almost  dead  with  fright,  clung  close  to  Zermah, 
If  she  could  have  saved  the  child  by  throwing  herself  into 
the  thick  of  this  crowd  of  snakes,  who  would  have  closed 
on  to  her  like  the  arms  of  some  giant  octopus,  the  half- 
breed  would  not  have  hesitated  for  a  moment ! 

But  only  some  special  intervention  of  Providence  could 
save  her.     And  Zermah  knelt  and  prayed  for  help. 

Any  moment  some  of  Texar's  companions  might  appear 
on  the  edge  of  the  forest.  If  the  Texar  remaining  on  the 
island  went  back  to  the  wigwam  and  missed  her,  would  he 
not  come  in  pursuit  } 

"  Oh  God  I  have  pity  on  me  1 " 

And  as  she  prayed  she  looked  to  the  right  of  the 
channel. 

A  gentle  current  was  running  through  towards  the 
north  of  the  lake,  where  a  few  affluents  of  the  small  river 
Calaooschatches  flow  out  to  the  Guif  of  Mexico.  It  is  this 
river  which  feeds  Lake  Okee-cho-bee  at  the  great  monthly 
tides. 

A  trunk  of  a  tree  came  drifting  along  from  the  right, 
and  had  just  struck  against  the  bank.  Would  not  this 
tree  afford  the  means  of  crossing  the  channel  ?     Evidently. 


THE  TWO   BROTHERS.  299 

In  any  case  if  the  tree  drifted  back  to  the  island  the 
fugitives  would  be  no  worse  off  than  they  were  now. 

Without  stopping  to  think,  Zermah,  as  if  by  instinct, 
ran  to  the  floating  tree.  If  she  had  stopped  she  might 
have  hesitated  at  the  hundreds  of  reptiles  swarming 
in  the  water,  and  the  chance  that  the  weeds  would  keep 
the  trunk  motionless  in  mid-channel !  But  an3^thing 
would  be  better  tlian  remaining  on  the  island  !  And  so 
Zermah,  with  Dy  in  her  arms,  climbed  along  into  the 
branches  and  pushed  off  the  tree,  which  immediately  began 
to  move  with  the  current. 

She  tried  to  hide  among  the  foliage  which  partly 
covered  it.  The  banks  were  deserted.  There  was  no 
sound  from  the  island  or  the  cypress  grove.  Once  across 
the  channel  the  half-breed  would  hide  away  till  night-time, 
and  then  enter  the  forest  without  being  seen.  Hope 
returned  to  her.  She  scarcely  gave  a  thought  to  the  reptiles 
who  swam  open-mouthed  round  the  tree  and  glided  over 
its  lower  branches.  The  little  girl  kept  her  eyes  shut  as 
Zermah  clasped  her  to  her  breast  with  one  hand,  while  she 
held  the  knife  in  the  other  ready  to  defend  herself.  But 
whether  it  was  that  the  monsters  feared  the  sight  of  the 
knife,  or  were  only  dangerous  in  the  water,  they  made  no 
attempt  to  attack  her. 

At  length  the  tree  reached  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and 
was  being  steadily  borne  towards  the  forest.  In  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  if  it  did  not  get  caught  in  the  weeds  it  would 
ground  on  the  other  bank.  And  then,  great  as  were  the 
dangers  she  had  to  face,  Zermah  thought  herself  safe  from 
Texar. 

Suddenly  she  clasped  the  child  more  tightly  to  her. 

There  was  a  furious  barking  on  the  island.  And  soon 
afterwards  a  dog  came  bounding  along  the  river-side. 

Zermah  recognized  the  hound  that  the  Spaniard  had  left 
to  guard  the  wigwam. 

With  coat  bristling  with  anger  and  eyes  flashing  fire, 
he  stood  ready  to  leap  among  the  reptiles  that  crowded 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

At  the  same  moment  a  man  appeared  on  the  bank. 


3^0  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

It  was  the  Texar  who  had  stopped  on  the  island.  Warned 
by  the  dog's  bark,  he  had  run  up  to  see  what  had  happened. 
His  rage  at  finding  Zermah  and  Dy  on  the  drifting  tree 
may  be  imagined.  He  could  not  follow  them,  for  the  barge 
was  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  Only  one  thing  could 
he  do  to  stop  them,  and  that  was  to  shoot  Zermah  at  the 
risk  of  killing  the  child. 

He  had  brought  his  gun  with  him,  and  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  use  it.  He  took  careful  aim  at  the  half-breed, 
who  tried  to  cover  the  child  with  her  body. 

Suddenly  the  dog  in  its  mad  excitement  jumped  into  the 
water.  Texar  thought  he  had  better  wait  to  see  what  it 
could  do. 

The  hound  swam  swiftly  towards  the  tree,  and  Zermah, 
knife  in  hand,  was  ready.     But  it  was  not  necessary. 

In  a  moment  the  snakes  had  twisted  themselves  on  to 
their  prey,  and  with  a  few  bites  from  its  teeth  in  answer  to 
those  from  their,  venomous  fangs  the  dog  had  sunk  among 
the  weeds. 

Texar  saw  the  dog  die  before  he  could  help  it,  and  now 
Zermah  was  escaping  him. 

"  Die  then  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

But  the  drifting  tree  had  now  reached  the  opposite  bank, 
and  the  bullet  only  grazed  the  half-breed's  shoulder. 

Next  moment  the  tree  grounded.  Zermah  carrying  the 
child  stepped  ashore  and  vanished  into  a  clump  of  reeds. 
Texar  fired  again,  but  missed. 

She  had  escaped  from  the  Texar  on  the  island,  but  she 
was  now  in  danger  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  his  brother. 
Her  first  endeavour  was  to  get  as  far  from  Carneral  Island 
as  possible.  When  night  came  she  would  make  for  Lake 
Washington.  Calling  up  all  her  strength  and  energy,  she 
fied  along,  running  rather  than  walking,  and  carrying  the 
child  in  her  arms.  Dy's  little  legs  refused  to  run  on 
the  irregular  ground  amid  the  quagmires  that  sunk  like 
traps,  and  the  roots  that  grew  in  such  tangled  masses  as  to 
be  impassable  for  her. 

She  did  not  seem  to  feel  the  weight  of  her  burden. 
Sometimes  she  stopped,  less  to  take  breath  than  to  listen 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS.  3°^'^ 

to  the  sounds  of  the  forest.  Sometimes  she  thought  she  J 
could  hear  the  bark  of  the  other  dog  that  Texar  had  taken  i 
with  him.  Sometimes  she  thought  she  could  hear  the  , 
report  of  firing  in  the  distance.  And  she  wondered  if  the  ; 
Southerners  had  come  up  with  the  Federal  detachment.  ■ 
Then,  when  she  had  recognized  that  the  noises  were  but  ' 
the  cries  of  a  bird,  or  the  breaking  of  some  dry  branch,  she  ; 
would  resume  her  flight,  and  full  of  hope,  think  nothing  I 
of  the  dangers  that  threatened  her  until  she  reached  the  i 
sources  of  the  St.  John's.  ' 

For  an  hour  she  continued  to  leave  Lake  Okee-cho-bee,  ' 
making  towards  the  east,  so  as  to  approach  the  Atlantic  ! 
shore.  It  appeared  probable  to  her  that  ships  of  the  - 
squadron  would  be  cruising  off  the  coast  in  support  of  the  ! 
detachment  under  Captain  Howick.  ] 

Suddenly  she  stopped.     This  time  there  could  be    no 
mistake.    A  furious  barking  was  heard  under  the  trees,  and ,.: 
it  was  coming  quickly  towards  her.     Zermah   recognized  | 
the  bark  as  one  she  had  often  heard  while  the  dogs  kept  i 
watch  round  the  Black  Creek  blockhouse.  ' 

"  The  dog  is  on  our  track,"  thought  she,  "  and  Texar  '. 
cannot  be  far  off." 

She  looked  round  in  search  of  a  thicket,  in  which  she  ^ 
and  the  child  could  hide.     But  the  dog  was  as  intelligent 
as  he  was  fierce,  and  had  been  trained  to  slave-hunting,  i 
would  he  not  scent  her  out  ?  \ 

The  barking  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  shouts  could  i 
be  heard  in  the  distance.  i 

A  few  yards  away  stood  an  old  cypress-tree,  hollow  with  j 
age,  round  which  serpentarias  and  lianas  had  thrown  a  i 
thick  network  of  branchlets.  i 

Zermah  ran  to  the  hollow,  which  was  just  large  enough  i 
to  hold  her  and  the  child,  while  the  network  of  lianas  ] 
concealed  them.  j 

But  the  dog  was  on  their  track.  A  minute  afterwards  ' 
Zermah  saw  him  in  front  of  the  tree.  He  barked  with  re-  ; 
newed  fury  and  sprang  at  the  cypress.  ; 

A  stab  with  the  knife  made  him  retreat  ;  and  he  began  ; 
to  bark  more  furiously  than  ever. 


302  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

A  minute  or  so  afterwards  voices  were  heard — those  of 
Texar  and  Squambo,  among  others.  It  was  the  Spaniard 
and  his  companions  who  were  running  to  the  lake  in 
an  endeavour  to  escape  from  the  Federal  detachment 
which  they  had  unexpectedly  met  in  the  cypress  grove, . 
and  found  too  strong  to  resist.  Texar's  object  was  to 
get  back  to  Carneral  Island  by  the  shortest  way,  so  as  to 
put  a  ring  of  water  between  the  Federals  and  himself. 
The  Federals  would  not  be  able  to  cross  it  without  a  boat 
After  a  few  hours  of  respite  the  Southerners  could  reach 
the  other  side  of  the  islano,  and  when  night  came  make 
use  of  the  barge  to  land  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
lake. 

When  Texar  and  Squambo  reached  the  cypress -tree  in 
front  of  which  the  dog  continued  to  b.irk,  they  saw  that 
the  ground  was  red  with  the  blood  that  flowed  from  an 
open  wound  in  the  flank. 

"Look  !  look  !"  exclaimed  the  Indian. 

"  Is  the  dog  wounded  } "  asked  Texar. 

"Yes  !  wounded  by  a  knife^  and  not  a  minute  ago.  The 
blood  is  still  smoking," 

"  Who  could  have  done  it  ?" 

And  here  the  dog  again  jumped  at  the  network  of  foliage 
which  Squambo  lifted  aside  with  the  butt  end  of  his  gun. 

"  Zermali !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  And  the  child  ! "  said  Texar. 

"  Yes.     How  did  they  get  away  ? " 

"Kill  her  I     Kill  Zermah  !  " 

I'he  half-breed  stabbed  at  the  Spaniard,  but  Squambo 
snatched  away  the  knife  and  drew  her  out  from  the  tree  so 
roughly  that  the  child  fell  and  rolled  among  a,  lot  of  the 
giant  pezizas,  which  abound  under  the  cypress-trees. 

At  the  shock,  one  of  the  mushrooms  exploded  like  a  gun, 
and  a  luminous  dust  crackled  in  the  air.  At  the  same 
moment  other  pezizas  went  off,  and  there  was  a  noise  all 
round  as  if  the  forest  were  filled  with  fireworks. 

Blinded  by  the  myriad  spores,  Texar  had  to  leave  go  of 
Zermah,  and  the  burning  dust  in  Squambo's  eyes  for  a 
moment  rendered  the  Indian  powerless.     Fortunately  the 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS.  303 

half-breed  and  child  were  stretched  on  the  fjround,  and  lay 
unharmed  while  the  spores  crackled  above  them. 

But  Zeraiah  could  not  escape  from  Texar.  Already 
the  air,  after  a  few  more  explosions,  had  become  breath- . 
able.  .  .  .  Then  a  new  series  of  reports  began,  but  this 
time  they  were  the  reports  of  firearms. 

It  was  the  Federal  detachment  come  up  with  the 
Southerners,  whom  they  surrounded  in  an  instant  and 
ordered  to  lay  down  their  arms.  As  the  order  was  given, 
Texar  seized  hold  of  the  half-breed  and  stabbed  her  in  the 
breast. 

"  The  child  !  Carry  off  the  child  ! "  shouted  the  Spaniard 
to  Squambo. 

The  Indian  caught  up  the  girl  and  had  run  a  stride  or 
two  towards  the  lake,  when  a  gun  was  fired.  He  fell  dead, 
shot  through  the  heart  by  Gilbert  Burbank. 

For  all  had  come  up,  James  Burbank  and  Gilbert,  and 
Carrol,  and  Perry,  and  Mars,  and  the  blacks  from  Camdless 
Bay,  and  Captain  Howick's  seamen,  who  had  made  pri- 
soners of  the  Southerners.  Among  the  piisoners  was 
'I'exar  standing  upright  by  Squambo's  corpse.  Only  a 
few  of  the  men  had  escaped  towards  Carneral  Island. 

Dy  was  in  her  father's  arms  and  he  was  clasping  her  as 
tightly  as  if  he  feared  she  was  to  be  again  taken  away  from 
him.  Gilbert  and  Mars  were  leaning  over  Zermah  endea- 
vouring to  revive  her.  She  still  breathed,  but  she  could  not 
speak.     Mars  held  up  her  head,  called  to  her,  kissed  her. 

She  opened  her  eyes.  She  saw  the  child  in  Mr.  Bur- 
bank's  arms,  recognized  Mars  covering  her  with  kisses,  and 
smiled.     Then  her  eyelids  fell. 

Mars  stood  up,  and  catching  sight  of  Texar  jumped 
towards  him  shouting,  "  Kill  Texar  !     Kill  Texar  !  " 

"  Stop,  Mars,"  said  Captain  Howick,  "  and  let  us  deal 
with  the  scoundrel." 

"Now,"  said  he,  turning  towards  the  Spaniard,  "you  are 
Texar  of  Black  Creek." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  replied  Texar. 

"James  Burbank,  Lieutenant  Burbank,  Edward  Carrol, 
and  Mars,  all  know  you  and  recognize  you." 
20 


304  NORTH    AND   SOUTH. 

"  Be  it  so  !  " 

"  Vou  are  to  be  shot." 

"  Well,  shoot  !  " 

Then,  to  the  surprise  of  all  who  heard  her,  Dy  said  to 
her  father, — 

"  Father,  there  are  two  brothers,  two  wicked  men,  who 
are  so  much  alike—" 

"  Two  men  ? " 

"  Yes  !    Zermah  t<'ld  me  to  tell  vou  so." 

It  would,  perhai'S,  have  been  difficult  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  these  strange  words  had  not  the  explanation 
been  almost  iniuiediatcly  given,  and  in  a  very  unexpected 
fashion. 

Tcxar  had  been  taken  to  the  foot  of  a  tree.  There, 
lookin;^  James  Bnrbank  in  the  face,  he  .stood  smokino  a 
cigaiLtte  he  had  just  lighted,  when,  suddenly,  as  the  firincy- 
party  formed  up,  a  man  leaped  past  them  and  stood  by  the 
Spaniard's  .'-ide. 

It  was  the  second  Texar,  whom  the  men  who  had  reached 
Carneral  Island  had  told  of  his  brother's  arrest. 

The  sight  of  these  two  men,  so  like  to  each  other,  ex- 
plained the  child's  meaning.  Mere  at  last  was  the  explana- 
tion of  the  life  of  crime  and  the  inexplicable  alibis. 

But  the  broth'-r's  intervention  cou  d  not  but  cause  a 
certain  amount  of  hesitation  in  carrying  out  the  commo- 
dore's orders. 

The  order  for  immediate  execution  only  referred  to  the 
autln^r  (4  the  ambuscade  in  \\hich  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  Federal  boats  had  perished.  The  author  of  the 
robbery  at  Camdless  Bay  and  the  seizure  of  the  child  ought 
certainly  to  be  taken  back  to  be  re-tried  at  St.  Augustine. 

But  could  not  both  brothers  be  considered  equally 
responsible  for  the  long  series  of  crimes  they  had  been  able 
to  commit  with  nnpunity  } 

Certainly  !  But  f!Ut  of  respect  to  the  law  Captain 
Howick  thought  it  best  to  put  the  following  question, — 

"  Which  of  you  was  guilty  of  the  massacre  at  Kis- 
simmee  ? " 

There  was  no  reply. 


THE  TWO  BROTHERS.  305 

Evidently  the  Texars  intended  to  say  nothing  in  reply 
to  the  questions  put  to  them. 

Zermah  alone  could  tell  which  was  which.  The  brother 
who  was  at  Black  Creek  on  the  22nd  of  March  could  not 
be  the  author  of  the  massacre  committed  a  hundred  miles 
off  the  same  day.  Zermah  had  a  means  of  identifying  the 
man  who  carried  her  off.     But  was  she  not  dead  now  ? 

No.  Supported  by  her  husband  she  was  seen  to  come 
forward.    In  a  voice  that  could  hardly  be  heard,  she  said, — 

"  The  man  who  carried  me  off  is  tattooed  on  the  left 
arm. 

At  these  words  a  smile  of  disdain  appeared  on  the  lips 
of  the  brothers,  who  folded  up  their  sleeves  and  showed  on 
the  left  arm  of  each  a  similar  tattoo  mark. 

At  this  new  impossibility  of  distinguishing  one  from  the 
other,  Captain  Howick  thought  it  was  time  to  bring  the 
scene  to  a  close. 

"  The  author  of  the  massacre  at  Kissimmee  is  to  be  shot. 
Which  of  you  was  it  ?  " 

"  I  was,"  said  both  the  brothers  together. 

That  was  enough.  At  the  words  the  firing-party  took 
aim. 

There  was  a  flash  and  a  report,  and  hand  in  hand  the 
Texars  fell. 

That  was  the  end  of  these  two  men,  whose  extraordinary 
resemblance  had  enabled  them  for  so  many  years  to  com- 
mit crime  with  impunity.  The  only  human  sentiment  they 
could  be  credited  with  was  this  savage  friendship  of  brother 
to  brother  which  had  been  theirs  till  death. 


3o6  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  civil  war  continued  with  varying  fortune.  Some 
things  had  recently  happened  of  which  James  Burbank 
had  not  heard  since  his  departure  from  Camdless  Bay,  and 
which  he  only  knew  when  he  got  back. 

During  this  time  it  seemed  as  though  the  advantage 
rested  with  the  Confederates  round  Corinth,  while  the 
Federals  occupied  the  position  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  The 
Southern  army  had  Johnston  as  gcncral-in-chief,  and  under 
him  were  Beauregarel,  Harder,  Braxton- Wragg,  and  Bishop 
Polk,  an  old  pupil  at  West  Point ;  and  these  cleverly 
profited  by  the  shortsightedness  of  the  Northerners,  who, 
on  the  5th  of  April,  were  surprised  at  Shiloh.  The  result 
of  that  surprise  was  the  dispersal  of  Peabody's  brigade  and 
the  retreat  of  Sherman.  The  Confederates,  however,  paid 
cruelly  for  their  success,  the  heroic  Johnston  being  killed 
as  he  repulsed  the  Federal  army. 

Such  was  the  first  day  of  the  battle  of  the  5th  of  April. 
The  day  but  one  after  there  was  another  fight  along  the 
whole  line,  and  Sherman  retook  Shiloh.  In  their  turn  the 
Confederates  had  to  retreat  before  the  soldiers  of  Grant. 
The  struggle  was  a  sanguinary  one  ;  out  of  eighty  thou- 
sand men  engaged,  twenty  thousand  were  wounded  or 
killed. 

This  was  the  last  news  of  the  war  that  James  Burbank 
and  his  companions  heard  the  morning  after  their  return  to 
Castle  House,  on  the  7th  of  April. 

After  the  execution  of  the  Texars  they  had  accompanied 
Captain  Howick  and  his  prisoners  to  the  coast.  At  Cape 
Malabar  one  of  the  vessels  of  the  flotilla  had  been  stationed 
to  cruise  off  the  coast,  and  in  her  they  were  taken  to  St 


CONCLUSION.  307 

Augustine.  Thence  a  gunboat  took  them  from  Picolata  to 
Camdless  Bay. 

And  so  all  got  back  to  Castle  House — even  Zermah,  who 
had  recovered  from  her  wounds.  Carried  to  the  Federal 
vessel  by  Mars  and  his  companions,  she  had  had  every 
attention,  and  in  her  happiness  at  having  saved  little  Dy, 
and  restored  her  to  those  who  loved  her,  how  could  she 
die? 

Mrs.  Burbank,  with  her  child  near  her,  gradually  recovered 
her  health.  With  her  had  she  not  her  husband,  her  son, 
Alice  (soon  to  become  her  daughter),  Zermah,  and  Mars  ? 
And  she  had  nothing  to  fear  henceforth  from  the  scoundrel, 
or  rather,  two  scoundrels,  whose  chief  accomplices  were  in 
Federal  hands. 

But  a  rumour  was  abroad  which,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  mentioned  by  the  brothers  at  their  interview  at  Carneral 
IsL'ind.  It  was  said  that  the  Northerners  were  to  abandon 
Jacksonville ;  that  Dupont,  confining  himself  to  the  blockade 
of  the  coast,  was  to  withdraw  the  gunboats  that  assured 
the  safety  of  the  St.  John's.  This  plan  would  evidently 
jeopardize  the  safety  of  the  planters  who  held  anti-slavery 
notions,  and  especially  James  Burbank. 

The  rumour  was  well  founded.  On  the  8th  of  April,  the 
day  after  that  on  which  the  family  returned  to  Castle  House, 
the  Federals  began  the  evacuation  of  Jacksonville.  A  few 
of  the  inhabitants,  who  were  favourable  to  the  Unionist 
cause,  thought  it  better  to  leave  the  town,  some  for  Port 
Royal,  others  for  New  York. 

James  Burbank  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  follow  their 
example.  The  negroes  had  returned  to  the.  plantation,  not 
as  slaves,  but  as  free  men,  and  their  presence  would  assure 
the  safety  of  Camdless  Bay.  The  war  had  entered  on  a 
favourable  phase  for  the  North,  and  this  allowed  of  Gilbert 
remaining  on  leave  at  Castle  House  to  celebrate  his  mar- 
riage with  Alice  Stannard. 

The  work  on  the  plantation  was  recommenced.  There 
was  no  question  of  putting  in  force  against  Mr.  B'.irbank 
the  order expelliiK;  the  fi-oed  slaves  from  Flcrtdan  territory. 
Texar  and  his  companions  were  no  longer  at  hand  to  raise 


3o8  NORTH  AND  SOUTH. 

the  populace,  and  the  gunboats  on  the  coast  would  promptly 
re-establish  order  at  Jacksonville. 

The  war  dragged  on  for  three  more  years,  and  even 
Florida  was  destined  to  receive  a  few  more  of  its  counter- 
effects.  In  the  month  of  September  of  this  same  year 
Dupont's  flotilla  appeared  at  St.  John's  Bluffs,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  Jacksonville  was  occupied  for  the 
second  time.  Later  on  it  was  occupied  by  General  Seymour 
for  a  third  time,  after  a  trifling  resistance. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1863,  a  proclamation  by  President 
Lincoln  abolished  slavery  in  all  the  States  of  the  Union. 
But  the  war  did  not  end  till  the  9th  of  April,  1865.  On 
that  day,  at  Appomattox  Court  House,  General  Lee  sur- 
rendered with  his  whole  army  to  General  Grant,  under  a 
capitulation  which  did  honour  to  both  parties. 

The  sanguinary  struggle  of  North  against  South  had 
lasted  four  years.  It  had  cost  two  thousand  seven  hundred 
millions  of  dollars,  and  killed  more  than  half  a  million  of 
men  ;  but  slavery  was  abolished  throughout  North  America. 
And  by  it  was  assured  the  indivisibility  of  the  Republic 
of  the  United  States,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  those  Ameri- 
cans whose  ancestors  a  century  before  had  freed  their 
country  in  the  War  of  Independence. 


END  OF  THE  SECOND  AND  LAST  PART. 


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MADAME  LA  GENERALE  DURAND, 

First  Lady  to  the  Empress  Marie-Louise, 

(1810  to  1814.) 


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repressed,  that  he  is  regarded  on  the  one  liand  as  an  incarnate  fiend,  and  on  the 
other  as  a  demi-god.    Here,  at  hist,  is  a  writer  who  knew  the  man  as  a  man  ;  %vlio 
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worst;  and  she  is  su(^h  a  delightful  sossip  that  she  does  not  in  the  least  hesitate*;.^ 
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-  "^It  is  a  piquant  and  spicy  volume,  and  exhibits  Na"poleon  as  the  author  saw  ^ 
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Journal.  V 

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Enquirer.  •    .  '•'       *  .  .-'■■J: 

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hy  this.'"— Philadelphia  Press.  ['* 

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imperial  connection."— St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press. 

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2  'ARTICLE  722 :  or,  Koner's  Inheritance.    By  F.  da  BoUgobfT.    341  pages. 

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19  *  KINO  SOIX)MON8  MINES.    By  II  Rldrr  Haggard.    188page8. 

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21  *tEATH  OR  DISHONOR.     By  F,  d.i  hol.Kohi-y.    .S^Oi.ages. 

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37  *  CALAMITY  ROW  :  or.  The  Suuken  Records.    By  John  U.  Mn.itk.   283  pages. 

38  *THE  STRAVGE  CASE  OF  DR.  JEKYLL  AND   MR.  HYDE.    By  K.  L. 

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Fifteen  Years  on  the  Hurricane  Deck  of  a 
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